When Worlds Collide
by Zane's Girl- Jo
Summary: They'd forced her to grow up in two worlds, one old, the other new. But when someone from her parents' past comes back to haunt them, she finds herself forced to choose- the world she's grown up in and loved, or the world she'd been born in and nearly forgotten. Sequel to You Are My Home and its various sequels.
1. Chapter 1

******When Worlds Collide**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Summary: They'd forced her to grow up in two worlds, one old, the other new. But when someone from her parents' past comes back to haunt them, she finds herself forced to choose- the world she's grown up in and loved, or the world she'd been born in and nearly forgotten. Sequel to_ You Are My Home_ and its various sequels. **

**A/N: I figured, I'll post this first chapter, and if no one wants me to continue, I'll take it down. I know where I want to go with this, but I'll leave it all up to you; you are the reviewers, after all. **

**A/N: To earthdragen, the issues raised in your review will be answered in this story. **

**Thanks to puppypants for reviewing 24; and CALLEN37, earthdragen, Clamanter and theresaid for reviewing 26 of _For Life Is This Way_.**

_2025_

_Washington, D.C._

The pencil continued to scratch against the pad, and she lost herself in her music. The cab pulled up in front of the apartment building, and after a moment, she got out, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. The girl quickly headed up the stairs, pulling the key to her parents' apartment from the slit in the wall, hidden by the door hinge, and quickly unlocked the door. An aging German Shepard met her at the door, his tail waging in excitement to see her. Kneeling down, she scratched behind her ears, and then shut the door, pulling her headphones from her ears as she entered the apartment. She quickly glanced around as she entered the kitchen, finding herself alone in the apartment except for the dog. After fixing a cup of tea, she returned to the living room, taking a seat on the sofa. Her gaze moved around the apartment, as her hand moved to scratch the ear of the German Shepard as he climbed onto the sofa and lay his head on her lap.

Hard to believe that she'd grown up in this apartment. Having just gotten back from a four-week intensive at Tel Aviv University in Israel, at which time she'd stayed with her _Savta_, it felt good to be... back.

"I can't exactly call this 'home', now can I Jethro, since I've spent the last few years bouncing back and forth between here and Israel." She said, glancing at the dog. He wagged his tail in contentment. She chuckled softly, grabbing her bag and pulling it onto the sofa with her. She dug around inside for a few minutes before pulling out her sketchpad and pencils. Just as she returned to her drawings, the door opened, and her mother walked in, her father at her side.

"But if-" Ziva McGee stopped short in the doorway, eyes going to the child sitting on the sofa, the dog beside her. "Adinaleh?" The girl looked up, giving her a small smile before she set her pad and pencil aside and got up, going to her parents. She wrapped her mother in her arms, burying her face in the long, dark curls.

_"Shalom, Ima."_ She whispered, squeezing her mother. Ziva held her daughter close, before pulling away and pressing a kiss to her cheek. She took her face in her hands, staring into her daughter's green eyes.

"How was your flight, _katan_?" She asked. The girl shrugged.

"Okay. The intensive was fun, but I like being home. _Savta_ sends her love." Ziva pressed a kiss to her cheek before heading into the kitchen. Once she was gone, the girl turned to her father. He opened his arms to her, and she rushed to him, throwing her arms around his neck. "_Abba!"_ He lifted her off her feet, holding her close.

"There's my _tinoket_." Timothy McGee said, swinging her gently from side to side. She giggled, burying her face in her father's neck. Eventually, the former NCIS Agent set his child down, stepping back to study her. "You get more beautiful every day, _katan_." She blushed. "So, are you home now? For good? Or... as good as possible until you decide to return to Israel?" He asked, leading her into the kitchen. She took a seat at the kitchen table, as her mother set a cup of tea in front of her and shrugged.

"I... I don't know." He father took a seat beside her, taking her hand. "I... I want to stay here, but... but would the school take me?"

"You would have to apply as a transfer at first, but yes, I believe they would." Tim said.

"Or we could always remind them that your _Abba_ is the Secretary of State-" Tim turned to glare at his wife, who returned it with a look of her own. Adina sighed.

She'd lived in Israel with her grandmother for nearly five months when she was ten, while her parents returned to D.C., so that her father could get situated in his new position as Secretary of State. Around Hannakuh, they'd come to Israel, and taken her back with them to D.C., in January, where she'd gone to school for two years. By the time she hit thirteen, though, she'd asked to return to Israel, and Ziva had gone with her; they'd returned to D.C., shortly before her freshman year of high school, and Adi had attended school up until recently, when she returned to Israel alone, to spend the summer with her grandmother and attend a four-week summer intensive at Tel Aviv University, which she'd just returned from. The intensive had been fun, she'd made a lot of new friends, but nothing felt so good as being back with her parents. To say that she was close to them, even at fifteen, was an understatment; Tim and Ziva were the most important people in her world, and she couldn't imagine what she'd do without them.

Those first five months in Israel, she'd attended a small school in the town where her mother was born; Tim and Ziva, who both blamed themselves for leaving her, had actually been glad she'd been in Israel when, in those first four months without her, their apartment was bombed and there was an explosion during a state dinner that Tim and Ziva had been forced to attend. If Adi had been with them, she'd have been there too; possibly hurt, since the bombing had happened right as the guests were entering the area. Tim had been hurt, burned when he grabbed Ziva and pulled her out of the way. It had been a hellish four months for the couple, and after some deep conversation, they'd both agreed that leaving Adi in Israel- at least, for then- had been the best thing to do. Rivka kept a close eye on her, and Adi was very well protected by those in the small town where her grandmother lived; it seemed the ones that needed the protection weren't Adi and Rivka, but Tim and Ziva.

Adina watched her parents as her mother joined them, settling herself in Tim's lap. Ziva wrapped an arm around Tim's neck, resting her forehead to his. Even now, in her mid-forties, Ziva was still as beautiful as she'd been the day her parents had first met. Long dark hair that curled without help from any sort of cosmetic or device, and soft olive skin, Ziva was the most beautiful woman Adi had ever seen. But what got people were her eyes. Because though people saw doe-eyed pools of deep, dark brown, only those who truly knew her, knew that those beautiful doe-eyes were filled with anything but innocence. Ziva had seen and done a lot of things in her life that had filled those dark eyes; only those that truly knew her, could see the glint of distrust and anger within those beautiful dark eyes.

Israeli by birth, American by choice, Ziva was certainly a force to be reckoned with.

Adi watched her parents, saw as Tim gently laced their fingers together. To think, that her parents had met nearly thirty years ago, in Israel, when her father was still the American Ambassador's son, and her mother still the daughter of the Deputy Director of Mossad. It had been one of those love-at-first-sight stories, that had culminated in a secret wedding ceremony at the embassy before they were forced to part. It took ten years- by that time, Tim was an agent at NCIS, and Ziva a Mossad officer- for the two to be together again, when Ziva had been sent to the States to track her half-brother Ari and dispose of him. Their secret had eventaully been revealed, and in early June two-thousand-ten, Ziva had given birth to their only child. Now, at fourteen, that baby girl Ziva had given birth too all those years ago, was a world traveler and the daughter of one of the most powerful men in America.

Ziva caught her daughter's glance, and she cocked her head. "What is it, _katan_?" She asked, meeting her daughter's gaze. Adi shrugged.

"Nothing. Just happy to be home."


	2. Chapter 2

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to bku and JonnyP86 for reviewing 1.**

"Can you believe she's fifteen?" Tim looked up from his writing. Best known in the literary world as Thom E. Gemcity, author of the highly successful_ L.J. Tibbs_ series, only those close to Tim knew of the Secretary of State's literary life. "Adina. She is going to be a softmore in high school, she was fourteen when she became a freshman, and now..." She sighed, wrapping an arm around his neck and laying her chin on his shoulder.

"Sophmore, Zi. _Soph_more, not Softmore." He automatically replied. Though her 'Ziva-isms'- as the former NCIS team they'd been a part of had originally nicknamed them- didn't appear as often now as when she'd first arrived in America, occasionally, they did pop up. Gently, Ziva slapped her husband's cheek in that affectionate way she had, before wrapping her arms tight around his neck and kissing his cheek. She sighed, eyes reading the current passage he was working on.

"Tim, this is-"

"I know, I should scrap it-"

"No, it is... beautifully written. You have a gift for writing, _motek_." She whispered, nudging her nose against his cheek. He rolled his eyes, but turned and captured her lips in a quick kiss. She released him, taking a seat on the sofa, and picking up her cup of tea. A few minutes later, Tim joined her, tugging until her legs were in his lap. She settled back against the sofa until she was comfortable, and sighed in contentment as Tim lovingly and slowly rubbed her feet. "Sometimes, I miss the old days at NCIS, before my father, before your ambassadorship, before Adina's birth... back when it was us and Tony and Gibbs, solving murders and catching killers. When it was just us, just you and me." He chuckled softly.

"I know. But you have to admit, that Adina is the best thing to happen to us." She smiled, nodding.

"_Abba? Ima?"_ Her parents turned, as she came into the living room.

_"Mah karah, Adinaleh?"_ Tim asked, seeing the tears on Adi's cheeks. Instantly, he got up, rushing to his daughter and taking her gently by the shoulders. Ziva set her cup down and followed; the girl's eyes were red, and she was choking on sobs. "Adinaleh, talk to us. _Mah karah_?" A moment passed as the child's lower lip quivered and she choked out,

"Something's wrong with Jethro,_ Abba_._ He's... he's not moving... he just... went and laid down on his bed and... and wouldn't come to me when I brought his stuffed rabbit..."_

They found Jethro laying on his bed in Tim and Ziva's room; his breathing was slow, and his tail limp. Slowly, Tim knelt next to the aging German Shepard, and gnetly stroked his neck. "Hey buddy. Not feeling so well, huh?" The dog looked up at him, his dark eyes glazed with silent pain. A moment passed as Tim continued to stroke the greying black and brown fur, as Jethro slowly nudged his master's knee. Tears came to Tim's green eyes as he choked out, "Call Ducky, Zi. Tell him to come as quick as he can."

"What's wrong with Jethro,_ Abba_?" Adi asked, as Ziva headed back into the living room and dialed Ducky Mallard's number. Tim swallowed the lump in his throat and glanced back at his daughter. Thirty minutes had passed by the time Ducky stepped into the room. The wiley M.E. had gotten older since Tim and Ziva's days as NCIS Agents, but nevertheless, he was still as bright and energetic as ever. He sighed, upon seeing Tim kneeling next to the old dog, stroking his neck gently.

"Oh dear."

* * *

Ducky had asked for Tim and Ziva to take Adi back into the living room while he looked the dog over. When he came back out into the living room, Adi rushed to him, fear in her eyes. "What's wrong with him, Mr. Duck-Duck?" Ducky allowed a small smile to flit across his creased features at Adi's nickname for him. He glanced at her parents.

"I'm afraid that Jethro is dying, my dear." He said, taking Adi's arm. The girl choked on a sob, shaking her head.

"No. He... he was fine yesterday when I came home... I... I took him for walk and... and we played fetch and... and he was fine..."

"Is there something we can do, Ducky?" Ziva asked, tears in her eyes. Ducky sighed.

"I have a friend that works in the veteraniary profession. I suggest taking him and having him put down. That would be the best thing for him now."

* * *

_"It's not fair, Abba_." Adi said, laying her head on Tim's shoulder. They sat in the veteraniary office as Ducky's friend prepared the cocktail that would put the aging German Shepard out of his misery.

"I know,_ katan_." Tim whispered. "But Jethro's old. He's not as strong as he used to be; his body was bound to give out on him sooner or later. Look at it this way, _tinoket_," Tim said, wrapping an arm around his daughter's waist and holding her close as he continued to stroke the dog's fur. Ziva sat on the dog's other side, stroking his muzzle and scratching behind his ears. She was silent, watching every move the doctor made.

"He was with us for several years; he was with_ Ima_ and I for two years before we had you, he was with us when you were born, he watched you grow up. Jethro's been a good dog, and your coming home gave him another day to spend with his family. He got to go to the park with you one last time, and play fetch... he got to do all the things he loved with you one last time, Adinaleh. You gave him one last day of happiness, Adinaleh, having you home and us all together again gave him one last wonderful day. And you're here now, to tell him goodbye." Adi choked on a sob, and scooted closer. She leaned down, wrapping her arms around the dog's neck. She buried her face in his soft fur, nuzzling his ear.

"I love you so much, Jethro." He blinked slowly, whimpering softly. "_My doggie... I'm so sorry... I love you so, so much..."_ She pressed a kiss to his head, tears sliding down her cheeks. "_Ani ohev otach_, Jethro._ I love you so much_-" She pressed another kiss to his soft fur, before pulling away and curling into Tim's side. They stayed as the vet began administering the drugs, Tim and Ziva both stroking the dog's fur as his heart began to stop and his breathing began to slow.

"I know we got off to a rough start, buddy, but... but I couldn't have asked for a better friend than you. You've taken care of Zi and Adi when I haven't been able to... you were one of the best things to happen to Zi and I... don't ever think you weren't a member of our family, Jet, because you were, you are, and you always will be... Always..." He pressed a kiss to the dog's neck, whispering softly to him. "I love you."

Ziva struggled to keep from crying, but she couldn't. This dog had been first murder suspect, then pet, followed by family pet, baby toy, protector, make-shift horse, travelling companion... Jethro had been there for them through everything, from the moment she settled in America with Tim, through Adina's birth and the death of Eli and their unborn baby. He'd let Adi clamber onto his back and hold onto his neck when she was a baby, riding him like a horse; he'd been at every embassy they'd been at when Tim was ambassador for the U.N., and had stayed faithfully by their side when Adi went missing; fiercely protective as only a former drug-sniffing German Shepard could be, he'd looked out for the family through the toughest of times.

Taking a deep breath, Ziva leaned down, burying her face in his soft fur before pressing a kiss to his head. "_Toda_, Jethro. Thank you, for protecting my family, for being there for us through everything._ I love you_, so much."

Eventually, as his owners stroked his fur and sat by his side, his eyes closed, and he drew his last breath.


	3. Chapter 3

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: The story image would normally be one of McGee/Ziva, but for now it's going to be a black ribbon. I'm from Nevada, and there was a shooting at Sparks Middle School, Monday 21, 2013. The black ribbon is in thoughts and memory of the two wounded and two killed. **

**Thanks to None, mcgeeksgirl and Fried-Chicken-Nisha for reviewing 2.**

Monday dawned bright and early, the beginning of the first week without their beloved family pet. As Tim got up to go for his run at five, he stopped at the dog bed Jethro had loved so. A moment passed, before Tim went to Ziva's side of the bed and pressed a kiss to her cheek before heading out of the bedroom. As he passed through the darkened kitchen, he stopped, at the sight of steam rising from the kitchen table. A moment passed, before he realized who was sitting at the table. "What are you doing up this early, _katan_?"

"Can't sleep,_ Abba_." Adi replied, wiping the sleeve of Tim's NCIS jacket under her nose. She sniffled, wrapping her hands around the mug of tea again. Tim watched his child, silent. She was tiny, like her mother, and the old jacket drowned her; she looked like a child playing dress up. Her long dark curls were pulled back in a messy ponytail, and her eyes were red. Tim squeezed her shoulder, heading to the door, but he stopped, going back to the kitchen and taking a seat beside his daughter.

"Is it about Jethro? Or the fact that you start school today?" Adi sniffled.

"Both." Tim swallowed.

"Sweetheart, Jethro was old, you know that. He had a good, long life, and we loved him. He's... he's young now, he's healthy, he's not hurting anymore. We'll never forget him." She choked on a sob, nodding. "And... school?"

"What if... what if they don't like me? What if... I can't do the work or keep up with the classes? What if the teachers don't like me?" Fear filled her green eyes, and gently, Tim reached up and cradled her cheek. "What if they think I'm... strange?"

"You aren't strange, Adina. You're beautiful, and talented, and-"

"Brilliant, just like your _Abba_." Both turned, to see Ziva enter the kitchen. "I thought you were going on a run, Tim." He shrugged.

"I was needed here."

* * *

Adi glanced around; she'd bounced from public schools in America to small private, town schools in Israel, to charter schools in D. C., to the best public schools in Tel Aviv, but nothing scared her so much as starting a new school year, in a new enviroment, in either America or Israel; the feeling was always the same. Dread, apprehension, absolute and complete fear. Being the Secretary of State's daughter only made it worse; she felt as though everyone judged her, stared at her, whispered to her behind her back. It had been easier to start school in Israel; the kids didn't care about her background, or her status, they liked her for her; eventually she became one of them.

But here, in this material-centralized country, she was the outsider. With her dark curls and olive skin, her bright green eyes and brilliant mind, she was an oddity to her "new" American classmates. She was also half-Israeli, trained proficently in knife-throwing and various other techniques such as shooting and MMA- thanks to her parents, who, after her kidnapping, felt it_ imperative_ that she know how to protect herself- and carried a knife with her at all times, like Ziva still did; having spent most of her childhood in Israel, she was used to having to be armed, but here...

"Nervous, Ina?" She turned, to see Amira Shakarji-O'Neill, the only person to call her 'Ina'. Gibbs' goddaughter and the child of an Israeli and an American couple- for her father had been killed before she was even born, and for her eighteenth birthday, she'd taken his name in rememberance- herself, Amira knew what it was like to be the new student in school. Though the just-turned-eighteen-year-old hadn't lived in another country like Adi had, she still knew fear and anxiety when she saw it. She tossed her glossy dark curls over her shoulder and shifted her messenger bag on her shoulder.

Amira had been Adi's pen pal when her family was overseas; they'd skyped and e-mailed, and Amira had taken it upon herself to look out for the child belonging to two godfather's former agents. She adored Tim and Ziva, idolized them, and looked on Adi as a younger sister. The girl swallowed, giving her friend a soft smile. "No." Amira narrowed her dark eyes in suspicion.

"Liar." Adi blushed, ducking her head. She kicked at the pavement, asking,

"Is it that obvious, Amiraleh?" The older girl chuckled at the soft term of endearment, and seemed to relieve some of Adi's fear.

"Oh, completely." She replied. "What's your schedule?" The other girl quickly pulled a folded piece of paper out her bag and handed it to her. "World History, AP English, Algebra, Classic Literature, Biology, AP Government and International Affairs?" She raised an eyebrow, and Adi blushed a deeper shade of red.

"I... requested it. I... I figured that... since _Abba_ is..." She stopped, when Amira nodded. After a moment, the older girl handed the list back to Adi.

"_Behatzlacha_."

"Why the good luck?" Adi asked, as Amira headed towards the doors. It was just before oh-eight-thirty, but school started at nine. Amira looked back at her.

"Because you'll need it, Adinaleh." Adi rushed to catch up, following Amira through the double doors. The older girl led her to the principal's office, knocking smartly on the door. "Principal Corrigan?" An older man looked up from his paperwork.

"Ah, Amira. What are you doing here so early?" He asked, folding his hands on his desk. Amira gave him a small smile.

"I have a new student for you." She reached behind her, tugging Adi forward. "This is my cousin," Adi started, surprised that Amira would actually consider her one of her family. "Adina McGee. She's the Secretary of State's daughter." Slowly, Adi lifted her head to stare at the principal. He was older, with salt and pepper hair and bright blue eyes.

"Ah, yes, I have the paperwork right here." He said, pulling a thin manilla folder out of a drawer. He stood, and Adi could see the regal bearing of a former Marine. As he came around the desk and perched on the edge, he held out his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Adina." She quickly shook his hand, silent. Glancing at Amira, she swallowed; the older girl nodded towards the man. After a moment, she turned back to the principal."

"_Toda_, for letting me come to your school." She heard Amira's palm meet her forehead, but didn't dare glance back. Principal Corrigan raised an eyebrow.

"'Toda'?" With a quick lick of her lips, Adi replied,

"It's Hebrew for 'thank you.'" She paled, when she realized who she was talking to. "I... I spent half of my childhood bouncing from country to country with my parents when _Abba_ was an Ambassador for the U.N., and then, I spent the other half going to school either here in America or back in Israel, when I lived with my _Savta_. I actually, just got back from a summer intensive at Tel Aviv University a few weeks ago, so I'm... going to school here. I... I'm Irish and Israeli._ Abba_ is Irish and... _Ima_ is Israeli." She clarified, swallowing nervously.

Principal Corrigan nodded. "Well, it's nice to have you here, Ms. McGee. Now, Amira, why don't you show your cousin around; feel free to escort her to her classes for the next couple days; it can get confusing on your first day."

As the two left the office, Amira muttered, "I thought you said you were going to not speak Hebrew here." Adi bit her lip.

"It slipped out. I'm so used to it at home- _Abba_ and _Ima_ have most of their conversations in Hebrew. And they speak Hebrew to me, so-" Amira sighed, shaking her head. "And since when am I your cousin? We aren't even related."

Amira shrugged. "We share Gibbs." was all she said before, "Just don't get carried away. Everyone _here_ speaks English." She said, leading her down the hall, just as the first bell rang and the halls flooded with students. Adi instantly pulled her bag closer, rising her shoulders and latching onto Amira's arm. While the school had seemed quiet and tranquil when she'd first set foot inside, now, it was more like a warzone, and she was terrified she wouldn't make it out alive.


	4. Chapter 4

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to None and Fried-Chicken-Nisha for reviewing 3.**

"Ina, just curious." Adi turned to Amira, waiting. "Your _Abba_ is the Secretary of State."

"Yeah? So?"

"_So_, you could be going to a private school. Not a public school or even a semi-private school like this. _Private_ private school. Hell, you could have security detail if you wanted-"

"I asked_ Abba_." Amira turned to her. The girls were sitting out in the hallway on the second floor landing of the school. During lunch, Amira had excused herself from her friends and motioned for Adi to follow her; they were now sharing lunch in a secluded corner of the school building, sharing stories and catching up. Amira sipped her tea, pulling her legs under her.

"What?" Adi bit her lip.

"I asked_ Abba_ if I could go to this school. I _wanted_ to go to this school. I don't want security detail, which is why I chose this school."

"Um... _Why_?"

"Because I've done a cross of public and private schools my entire life because _Abba_ and _Ima_ have told me where I need to go. I asked to go to this school because _I_ want to decide what to do. I chose to stay in Israel five years ago, but when they left, they forced me to stay because it was my decision, even though by then, I'd realized that I'd be by myself with _Savta_. _Abba_'s always said that in the end, it's my decision. Besides, when _Abba_ brought home the brochures, this is the _only_ school that offers classes on international affairs."

"And because you've been around the world, you think you would be good at international affairs." Amira finished, sitting back against the wall. Adi nodded, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Yeah. Is that stupid?" Amira shook her head.

"So... your parents let you stay in Israel by yourself-"

"I wasn't by myself. I was with _Savta_." Amira rolled her eyes.

"Okay, you were with your grandmother; you're _Abba_'s a former Ambassador and NCIS Agent, your_ Ima_'s former Mossad, and you think being the daughter of two of the most _uniquely interesting_ individuals in America qualifies you to take a class on international affairs." Adi glanced down at her lap, realizing for the first time since asking to take the class, just how stupid she was, thinking that she could take a class on things _she'd_ personally never experienced.

_Abba_ had, because he was first Ambassador and now Secretary of State, and _Ima_ had because she was former Mossad, but Adi had never... the closest thing had been her kidnapping five years earlier, and the shooting at dinner that long ago night. "I'm not saying you shouldn't take it, Ina, just... you just need to understand that American teachers have a way of twisting topics and discussions to suit them. You're answers aren't always going to be right." She got up, squeezing Adi's shoulder.

* * *

"Class, we have a new student joining us." Mr. Winters glanced at Adi. "This is Adina McGee. Why don't you take a few minutes and tell us a little bit about yourself." Slowly, Adi turned to the other students, swallowing. They watched her with blank expressions, uninterested and bored, waiting for the first day of school to get out so they could hang out with friends or go shopping.

"I... spent most of my childhood traveling the world, and I... I've lived in Israel on and off for the last five years-"

"Why?" One of the students asked. Adi swallowed, clutching her books tighter to her chest.

"B... because my... because _Abba_ was the American Ambassador at Large for the United Nations, and _Ima_ is the daughter of the former Deputy Director of Mossad."

"Who are_ Abba _and _Ima_?" A boy asked. "Some sort of band?" He asked, causing other students to laugh. Adi blushed, glancing at her feet.

"No. They... they're my parents." She whispered.

"You call them _Abba_ and_ Ima_?" A girl asked, raising her eyebrows. Adi nodded. "What kind of names are_ those_?" Mr. Winters quickly silenced the class, even as Adi replied,

"They_ aren't names_. They're Hebrew for father and mother. I... I'm Irish-Israeli. My parents were NCIS Special Agents; they resigned when I was four. _Ima_'s father was Deputy Director of Mossad, he was killed when I was five. _Ima_ was also a Mossad officer; she worked as a liasion for NCIS before becoming a naturalized American citizen before I was born. After they resigned, _Abba_ became the American Ambassador to Israel, and we lived there for two years before we moved to Germany and he became an Ambassador at Large for the United Nations._ Abba_ is... the Secretary of State of the United States; he was nominated when I was ten, and accepted position. Since then, I've bounced from Israel to the U.S." Upon hearing who she was related to, the class instantly shut up.

"Wait, _you're_ the daughter of the Secretary of State?" A girl demanded, leaning on her desk. Adi nodded.

"_Ken_. Yes." She quickly clarified.

"Well, it sounds like you had a very interesting childhood, Adina. You can tell us more about it after class. Please, take a seat, and we'll get started." As she slipped into her seat, she kept her eyes ahead; she could feel the stares and whispers starting, and slowly, as class began, started to slide down her seat.

* * *

Adi quickly shut her locker; her gaze fell on the boy two lockers down, and he glanced up, meeting her eyes. A moment passed, as he gave her a small smile; she quickly looked around, before turning back and pointing to herself. He nodded, as she blushed. "Ina! You coming?" Glancing back at Amira, Adi turned back to the boy, and after a moment, gave a small, nervous wave and smile, and rushed off to join the older girl.

* * *

"So who was the boy you were having the conversation with?" Adi turned to her friend; they drove through downtown D.C., headed to the capital. Amira was going to drop Adi off with Tim, and visit with him, because she hadn't seen him in months. With Adi's first day of school officially over, all the girl wanted to do was go home with Tim and bake Tahini cookies with Ziva, like she used to do when she was a child.

"What boy? I wasn't talking to anyone. No one wanted to talk to me except you. Everyone pretty much left me alone." She replied, glancing at the older girl. Deciding to let the subject go- for the moment- when she saw Adi shift uncomfortably in her seat, Amira said,

"I hear you made _quite_ the impression in Mr. Winters' class."

"I don't want to talk about it, Amiraleh." Adi replied, sinking in her seat.


	5. Chapter 5

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to None for reviewing 4.**

"Excuse me, Miss, you can't-" Adi turned. The intern stopped.

"Oh. Hi Adi. Go on in."

"She's with me, Kayla. This is my cousin, Amira." Adi said, glancing at the older girl. The straight-laced intern nodded. As Adi slipped into the office, Amira followed, glancing over her shoulder. They entered to find Tim going over paperwork; he didn't even look up as Adi moved to his desk.

"I told you that I did not wish to be disturbed, Kayla."

_"Shalom, Abba."_ It was then that Tim's head snapped up, and he grinned, getting up.

"Adinaleh." She went to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "How was your first day of school?" She shrugged.

"Okay."

"Okay?" He asked; she nodded. "You'd think you'd-" But Tim's gaze was directed away from his daughter. "Amira." The teen smiled. "It's good to see you again." Tim said, going to her and hugging her.

"It's good to see you too."

* * *

Dinner was quiet; Adi told both Tim and Ziva about school, but refused to speak further on the subject. Instead, she asked,

"Are we going to get another dog?" Her parents shared a startled glance; Ziva turned to her child.

"Um... would you _like_ another dog, _katan_?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. Adi shrugged, sipping her tea.

"Maybe. A German Shepard? We can let it attack_ Abba_." Adi giggled as Tim lowered his glass, rolling his eyes.

"That wasn't funny! I could have gotten rabies! Or a bad infection! And then Abby_ forced_ him on us-"

"You have to admit though, Tim, that Jethro was a good family dog. He was a very good pet, especially after Adi was born." Ziva replied, taking a bite of her salad. Tim shook his head, but kept quiet.

"Well then can we get a German Shepard _puppy_ instead?" At the looks on her parents' faces, Adi rushed on. "Oh _please, Abba_! I _promise_ I'll take care of it! _Ima_, please say yes! I'll do everything for it, I promise! I'll feed it and walk it and take care of it, I promise! Please!" Her parents shared silent glances, before Ziva said,

"All right. After you get out of school we'll go look for a puppy. Okay?" Adi let out a squeal, getting up and rushing to Ziva. She wrapped her arms around her mother from behind as Ziva added, "But, it will be your responsiblity,_ katan_. Understood?" Adi nodded, rushing to Tim and wrapping him in a hug.

"_Ken, Ima_, _ani mevina_. I understand, I _promise_."

* * *

Ziva squealed as Tim wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her towards him. She settled down next to him as he buried his nose in her long dark curls and gently squeezed her waist. She felt him kiss her head as she turned to meet his gaze, reaching up to gently caress his cheek. She gave him a soft smile, resting her forehead to his. They lay in silence for several minutes, nudging noses, before Ziva pressed a soft kiss to his lips. She turned fully in his arms, wrapping her own around his neck. "I miss Jethro. He was always there, playing guard even when we didn't need him to."

"Well, we promised Adi she could get a puppy, and she promised to take care of it, so we'll take her after school." Tim replied, pulling her closer. As Ziva settled on his chest, she whispered,

"She doesn't seem to thrilled about school. You two went out to lunch after Amira dropped her off, correct? Did she say anything?" She looked up; but Tim shook his head.

"Not much. Just that it was confusing, but that it was no more confusing than any other first day of school, and that she'd figure it out soon." Ziva nodded, unbuttoning Tim's shirt and slipping her fingers beneath the material. Tim winced, closing his eyes and pulling away. Even after all these years, the scar Tim had recieved from that disasterous dinner still held slight pain. More phantom than anything, but still. She softly clucked her tongue, brushing the material away to lean down and brush her lips against the scar.

"I almost lost you, thanks to my father's violence. We almost lost Adi." She lay her head on his chest, her cheek resting gently against the scar. Tim winced, but tightened his grip on his wife. "I've never been more happy that a man is dead. I know he is my father, but he nearly took my family away from me, and for that, I can never forgive him, even in death."

* * *

"You okay, Adinaleh?" Adi looked up to see her parents heading to the front door. It was about oh-five-hundred, and both were heading out for a run; when Adi was little, they would take turns so that one of them would always be here in case she needed them. Now that she was older, Tim and Ziva had decided that she would be okay by herself, and could get ahold of them if she needed them. Ziva pulled her bright yellow beanie down over her ponytail before zipping up her windbreaker. Tim had gotten her the hat for her birthday one year, and Ziva never left on a run without it. The woman had a thing for beanies that Tim found quite funny.

Adi bit her lip. "_Ken, Ima_. I'm okay." Her parents shared a glance before Tim went to her and pressed a kiss to her head.

"Okay. Well, we're gonna go on a quick run, you'll be okay?" She nodded, as he returned to the door. As they left, Adi got up, rushing to the door.

_"Abba? Ima?" _The two turned on the stairs, looking back at their daughter. "Ca... can I come?"

* * *

She didn't see how her parents did this every morning. Not that she wasn't out of shape, she just didn't run.

No, in the years that she'd bounced from America and Israel- and the various countries in between- she'd always been a dancer. In fact, she'd been at Tel Aviv University to look at their dance program; because she was the daughter of the former American Ambassador to Israel and the granddaughter of the former Deputy Director of Mossad, she'd gotten a chance to examine the dance program before anyone else. And while the university had a great dance program, she didn't immediately rule out other performing arts colleges.

"Having trouble keeping up, _tinoket_?" Tim teased gently, as he slowed to allow Adi to catch up.

"Do not tease her, _motek_." Ziva said, stopping beside him. He rolled his eyes at his wife, wrapping an arm around her waist as they waited for Adi to join them. The girl doubled over, catching her breath.

"How do you do this every morning, _Abba_?" Tim chuckled, squeezing Ziva's waist.

"Routine. And practice." He glanced at his wife. "And it helps to have your_ Ima_ as a slave driver." Ziva slapped his cheek gently, glaring at him. "Come on, just another mile or so." Adi groaned as her parents took off.

"You _have_ to be kidding me."

* * *

The coffee was warm as it slid down her throat. They'd returned home after an hour run, and Tim and Adi now sat at the kitchen table, steaming cups of coffee in their hands. Tim's hair was still damp from his shower, and he could hear the shower shut off as Ziva stepped out and made her way into the bedroom.

"So, are you going to continue your dance classes, Adinaleh?" Adi looked up.

"I... I thought you had forgotten, _Abba_." She whispered. Tim raised an eyebrow.

"Why would I forget my little dancer?" He asked, sipping his coffee. Adi blushed, ducking her head. "If you remember, Adinaleh, _Ima_ and I made every one of your recitals when you were in Israel, even when we weren't with you. Despite what we've done, and what you may think, you have _always_ been our first priority. When we had you, you completed our lives, Adina. You gave us something we've always wanted to be a part of- both_ Ima_ and I- a family. You're coming into our lives gave us that, Adinaleh."

Adi nodded, licking her lips. After a moment, she asked, "_Abba_? Can we... go look for studios today, after school? After we get the puppy?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/n: Sorry, but _Nutcracker_ rehearsals have started, so I get out of rehearsal at about oh-eleven-hundred, so I'm having to get these chapters out the day after each rehearsal. **

**Thanks to Fried-Chicken-Nisha for reviewing 5. **

"Ina!" The girl looked up from her locker, to see Amira making her way towards her. "How was class?" Adi bit her lip.

"I quit." The older girl furrowed a brow, confused.

"Sorry?"

"I quit. I'm gonna find a different school." Adi said, heading out of the building and looking for Ziva. She instantly spied her mother's familiar red Mini-Cooper and made a beeline for it, Amira hot on her heels.

"What? Why?"

"Because nobody likes me." She threw over her shoulder. "I'm not you, Amiraleh. I don't have a thousand friends who gather like flies every time I step into the room. I had close friends in Israel and France and Spain, but they're all a million miles across the ocean. I'm gonna find a different school, a smaller school." She said, pulling open the passenger door and tossing her messenger bag onto seat. Amira grabbed her arm.

"Adinaleh, you're being ridiculous. It's only your second day-"

"_Shalom_, Amira." The teen looked up to see Ziva come around her car towards them. The older woman looked just as she had nearly eighteen years ago when Amira and her mother Leyla met the couple. Ziva had been pregnant with Adi; Amira's_ real_ memory of the couple was at her grandfather's funeral, with the handmade coffin Gibbs had made for him. She knew that Tim and Ziva had always held a special place in her godfather's heart, that Adi had wrapped Tony around her little finger from the moment the couple had told the rest of the team they were expecting. Yes, Amira was well aware of Adi's place in the former NCIS team's hearts, but she was also well aware of her place in Ziva and Tim's. The pair had turned to Leyla for advice when Adi was born; Ziva had befriended Leyla almost instantly, finding a common link in their shared pasts of falling in love with American men and escaping their Middle-Eastern death sentences they called lives.

Though they came from two radically different backgrounds- Ziva being the daughter of the former Mossad Deputy Director, and Leyla the daughter of a powerful Middle-Eastern tribes' woman- both had managed to escape through love and marriage; secret marriages that had resulted in long, painful separations and eventual reunions in the States- be it with the family of their loved one or their loved one themself. Both had resulted in children of mixed race, both had fought to keep their children from experiencing the horrors they'd witnessed. From what Amira saw, when she looked in Adi's bright green eyes, Leyla had succeeded. Ziva had tried, but by allowing her father contact with her family, she'd unknowingly sealed her daughter's fate, stealing Adi's childhood innocence and destroying the peace her parents had been so desparate to keep in her green eyes.

Amira swallowed, giving the older woman a big smile. _"Shalom_, Ziva." She went to Ziva, allowing the woman to quickly kiss her cheeks. She then wrapped her arms around the former assasin, squeezing quickly. "Mah Shlomech?" The other woman chuckled softly, shrugging.

"I'm good. And you?" Amira shrugged.

"I have class in an hour, so I'd better head over there-" Ziva raised her eyebrows.

"Oh," Ziva glanced at her daughter. "If you want, we can give you a ride, Adinaleh and I were going to go visit a German Shepard breeder out in Silver Spring and pick out a puppy." Amira glanced at Adi, who nodded. After a moment, she shrugged.

"Sure. _Toda."_

_"Al lo davar."_

* * *

"So, what class are you going to, Amiraleh?" Ziva asked. Amira pulled her long dark hair back from her face.

"My dance classes." Adi turned to her.

"You dance?" The older girl nodded as she secured her bun. "Where? For how long?"

"Since I was three, and at the Dance For Joy Studio. Ima enrolled me when I was threee, and I've been there ever since."

"What classes do you take?" Adi asked, watching as her friend quickly undressed in the back of the car and pulled on her tights and leotard. Amira seemed to think.

"Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Ballet and Pointe."

"All those?" Adi asked, eyes wide. Amira nodded. "I only did ballet and pointe."

"Where?" Amira asked.

"A small studio in Tel Aviv." She replied, turning back to the front. Ziva chuckled softly, listening to the girls.

"You're on point, Ina?" The younger girl nodded.

"Have been since I was eleven."

"Have you played anything on pointe?" Amira asked, as they finally pulled up in front of Amira's studio.

"Just... small things, nothing major." She bit her lip before turning back to her mother. "Can we go check it out, _Ima_? Please?" Ziva glanced back at Amira, before shrugging.

"Sure."

* * *

"I played Clara for three years in _The Nutcracker_, and Swanhilde for two in _Coppelia_. I also played _Giselle_ once. This is the best studio I've seen." Amira said, leading Adi and Ziva into the studio. It was nice, a big huge space with multiple studios and a small kitchen area as well as a nice lobby and student lounge. Music and voices could be heard in the various studios, and Amira moved past them, heading towards the owner of the studio. "Kali, I have two people I want you to meet." The woman turned; her short red hair was held back with bobby pins, and she wore a black leotard with a waterfall skirt. "This is Ziva McGee and her daughter, Adina. This is my dance instructor and the owner of Dancing for Joy, Kali Martin."

They quickly shook hands. "It's nice to meet both of you. Are you looking for dance lessons, because we have some wonderful adult classes-" Ziva waved it away.

"Not for me, thank you, though. But Adina is looking for a new studio."

"I used to dance in Tel Aviv." Adi admitted, blushing.

"Israel?" The older woman's eyes lit up.

"Ken. Yes." Ziva corrected. "My husband is the Sec-"

"Secretary of State. Yes, I thought the name McGee sounded familiar." She glanced at Amira. "Why don't you head into class, Amira. I'd like to talk to Adina and Ziva for a moment." Once the older girl was gone, she gestured for them to follow her to her office. Once they were seated, she tured to the younger girl. "Now, tell me Adina, how long have you been dancing?"

Adina swallowed, glancing at her mother; gently, Ziva reached out and squeezed her daughter's hand. "Since I was about five, when we first moved to Israel, when _Abba_ was Ambassador. Sorry, my dad." Ms. Martin waved it away.

"No need to explain. I'm also Jewish. Just because I don't speak it as often, doesn't mean I don't understand it." She said, nodding to Ziva's necklace. "Now, what type of classes were you looking to take, and don't worry, we can set up a plan to help you pay for your tuition."

* * *

Tim rushed down the steps of the capital. He'd promised Ziva and Adi that he would meet them at the small dog breeder in Silver Spring to look at the puppies, yet his meeting with the President had gone late. He'd barely make it home for dinner with his girls. As he slipped into the car, he took a deep breath and leaned his head back on the headrest. A moment passed before he started the car and moved to pull out of the parking space, when something caught his eye.

He quickly got out of the car, pulling something from beneath the windshield wiper. It was a photograph- and old one.

Of Gibbs' former team.

Abby, Jimmy, Ducky, Gibbs with Adi in his arms, and he and Ziva.

He didn't think anything of it, until he saw Kate's image attached to it, and then he saw the tape holding her to the photograph.

With a red X through her beautiful features. And then he saw Adi's face, and his and Ziva's circled in black, with huge red X's through them. When he flipped it over, his heart stopped.

_Gibbs will have to watch everyone he loves die, as I watched mine die. Starting with you and your family._

_- Alejandro Rivera_


	7. Chapter 7

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

The squeak of the stair caused Gibbs to look up; the sight of Tim McGee making his way towards him caused pause. It wasn't often that Gibbs saw Tim- not since he'd become Secretary of State, and Gibbs himself had returned to NCIS- but occasionally, they all did get together. Mainly at holidays. "What're you doin' here, McGee? Ziva'll have your head if you aren't home for dinner with her and Adi, now that she's back from Tel Aviv-"

When he looked up again, Tim was next to him, holding out a photograph. Gibbs took it; the sight of Kate's image, taped to the original photograph, with an X through it, and also through Ziva and Tim's images, sent his mind racing, before he turned it over and read the writing on the back. He sighed, going to his work bench and emptying two mason jars of their nails and bolts. Then, he poured a spot of bourbon into each, handing one to Tim. Silent, he pushed Tim gently onto the bench and took a seat on a nearby stool. "Talk to me, Tim." The former agent didn't say anything, and after a moment, Gibbs took him by the shoulders and gently shook him. "_Talk_ to me, Tim. Hey, look at me." Slowly, green eyes met blue. "Does Ziva know?"

"No. I haven't been home yet." Gibbs nodded. He could see the fear in Tim's eyes. "I thought Rivera was taken care of." The younger man swallowed, twisting his wedding ring. Gibbs watched him, noticing how he seemed to question every decision he'd made in the last several years- from marrying Ziva at seventeen, to becoming an NCIS agent to having Adi- and after a moment, Gibbs reached out and gently smacked him on the back of the head. Tim looked up at him.

"Don't you _ever_ second-guess yourself again, Tim. Adina and Ziva are lucky to have you. You are the most important person in their lives, and they need you. You leave this to me. Now go home and be with your girls." Gibbs gently squeezed his shoulder as Tim nodded.

* * *

Ziva looked up as the apartment door closed. Adi was in the living room with the new puppy, whom she'd named Tigyr, and she looked up when Tim glanced her way. "_Abba_!" She climbed to her feet, scooping the puppy up and rushing to him. "_Ima_ and I picked him up today from the breeder in Silver Spring. He was the last one in the litter and the youngest. Doesn't Gibbs say that the runts always grow up to be the strongest and best?" She asked, cradling the small German Shepard puppy close. Tim gave her a small smile.

"_Ken_, he does." He sighed, looking around quickly. "Where's _Ima, katan_?"

"In the kitchen. Why?_ Abba_? Is something wrong?" He shook his head, giving her a big smile.

"Nothing's wrong_, katan_. I just need to talk to _Ima_." He pressed a kiss to her head, before making his way into the kitchen. Ziva quickly turned the water off and wiped her hands on a towel before turning to her husband. But her smile quickly faded as she saw the look in Tim's eyes.

"_Mah karah_, Tim? Timothy, what is it?" Her instincts- honed from years in Mossad and NCIS- began to churn, but he said nothing as he rushed to her, wrapping his arms tight around her waist and buried his face in her dark curls. He breathed in the familiar scent of her shampoo, nudging his nose against her temple as he whispered softly, "_Ani ohev otach_, Ziva." She reached up, tangling her fingers in his hair as she whispered it back, before pulling away.

"Something's wrong, Tim. Tell me, please." He searched her dark gaze, before leaning down and kissing her deeply. Tim drink in his wife's familiar taste, pulling her closer and walking her back towards the sink until her hips hit the hardwood. "Talk to me, Timothy. Something is bothering you, I can see it in your eyes. _Please."_ She whispered, nudging her nose against his as they broke the kiss. He shook his head, gently pulling on her bottom lip with his teeth before whispering,

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong, Zi. I just missed you. Today was far too long." He pressed another soft kiss to her lips before pulling away. She studied him; he was hiding something. In the last few years, he'd gotten proficient at hiding things from her; lying however, he still couldn't. When he pulled away, he went to Adi and the puppy, scratching behind the animal's small ears. She sighed, figuring it'd be better to confront him before bed than before dinner.

"Well, dinner's ready. Adinaleh, put the pup down and come eat." Adi did as told, joining her parents. The puppy scampered after them, nipping at their shoes and attempting to attack the chair legs.

"I should have been home to help with dinner-" Tim started, but Ziva raised an eyebrow.

"No need. I didn't cook. Adinaleh made the spaghetti tonight." Tim glanced at his daughter, giving her a small smile.

"Did you?" Adi nodded.

"_Savta_ taught me. Though I like baking with _Ima_ better than cooking." Adi giggled. As her parents both went to take a bite, she cried out_, "Wait!"_ Ziva stopped, fork in her mouth; Tim stopped, fork halfway to his lips. "I may have added too much cayanne pepper. I think I made it too hot." Tim chuckled softly, lowering the fork. He reached over, patting her hand.

"I'm sure it's fine,_ katan_." Just as he said that, though, Ziva choked on the pepper. She lowered her fork and grabbed her glass, quickly taking several gulps of the cold water.

"Sorry,_ Ima._ I didn't mean to make it so hot."

"I think _Ima_ just got a forkful of the sauce, _katan_, that's all." Tim replied, chuckling as he turned back to his wife. "You were always able to handle spice, Zi. You must not be able to in your old age." He jumped, hissing in pain as his wife kicked him under the table.


	8. Chapter 8

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

Tim looked up at the sound of small puppy feet making their way into the bedroom. He turned, to see the German Shepard make his way to Jethro's old dog bed. The pup sniffed it once, then poked it with his paw, and then grabbed a small part of it in his mouth. He tried to tug it towards the door, but when the bed overpowered him and he fell to the floor, he gave up, eventaully climbing onto the old pillow and scratching at it. It still held held Jethro's scent, and after a moment, the pup curled up on it, promptly falling asleep. Ziva and Tim shared a glance before pulling the covers of their own bed down.

"Tigyr? Tigyr-" Adi stopped in her parents' doorway, at the sight of her puppy curled up sound asleep on Jethro's old bed. The big dog bed made him look even smaller than he was, and after a moment, Adi moved to pick him up, but Tim stopped her.

"Let him sleep here tonight, katan." Adi turned to her parents.

"But he's my dog-"

"And he will always be your dog. But let him sleep here tonight. It probably reminds him of his mother because it's warm. We'll move the bed into your room in the next few days. For now, leave him be." Adi glanced back at the puppy, before going to each other parents. She kissed them both on the cheek before heading to the door.

"_Lailah tov_." They whispered it back to her before she left, closing the door behind her. Once she was gone, the pair climbed into bed, pulling the covers tight around them. As they settled down, Ziva spoke up.

"Talk to me, Timothy." He sighed.

"It's nothing, Zi, now let it go." She pushed herself up, meeting his green eyes.

"It has been_ something_ from the moment you walked in the door tonight, Tim." She propped herself up on her elbow, and reached over, tracing patterns on his chest. He sighed, thinking. She waited. "You have to talk to me at some point, Timothy. We are partners. Partners tell each other what is troubling them." Taking a deep breath, he whispered,

"I found a photograph on my windshield today, after I got out of work." Ziva raised an eyebrow.

"So?"

"It wasn't just any photograph, Zi. It was one taken when Adi was a child, and it had a photo of Kate taped to it, with an X across her face. Yours, mine and Adi's were circled, but there were red X's through ours." She listened, silent, her fingers stopping their constant motion on his chest. "On the back, there was a handwritten message, about Gibbs watching everyone he loved die. Starting with us. It was from Alejandro Rivera."

"Riv-" He nodded. "But... but we caught him. He is supposed to be dead." Tim shrugged.

"He isn't. At least... it doesn't seem like it." He searched her gaze for a moment before turning his own back to the ceiling. "I took the photo to Gibbs. He told me that he would take care of it. That I needed to be here with you and Adi." She gave him a small smile.

"He is a smart man. He knows I will take care of you." She kissed him, smiling into his kiss as he reached up and tangled his fingers into her hair.

"I don't want to lose you, Zi." He whispered against her lips. She pulled away, meeting his gaze. Gently slapping his cheek in that affectionate way of hers, she replied,

"You won't, Tim. I promise." He tightened his grip around her as she settled on his chest.

"I'm going to hold you to it." He whispered, kissing the top of her head.

* * *

He poured another glass of bourbon, and studied the photograph. Adi clung to his neck, a smile lighting her green eyes, and Tim had his arms tight around Ziva's waist.

What the hell was Alejandro Rivera doing still alive? When he'd been taken into custody years ago, they all assumed he'd been killed in prison. Apparently not.

And now, if this note was correct, he was still alive, and waiting to strike at the heart of Gibbs' family.

By going after two of his kids. His two youngest. But why Tim and Ziva?

Was it because they had Adi? Was it because a child made them vulnerable, easy targets? Well, he hated to disappoint the jackass, but Tim and Ziva were both proficent in MMA as well as weaponry- Ziva had trained her husband well. And Adi, well, she'd learned from her parents. She'd definately learned from the best. Gibbs took another sip of his drink. He turned to the latest boat he was working on, and then turned back to the photograph. A moment passed, before he grabbed his cell and dialed. He waited until the person on the other end of the line picked up.

"Leon?... We need to talk. We've got a case... It hasn't happened yet, but there are threats... Alejandro Rivera... yes, that's what I said... against who? Tim and Ziva..."

Once he hung up with Leon, he turned back to the photograph, and the looked up at the photograph he'd tacked to his wall.

It was one of Ziva, Tim and Adi long before Tim had taken the position as even Ambassador; back when they were both still NCIS agents under his protective, fatherly gaze. Tim had an arm around Ziva's waist; both were still in their jackets and hats. It had been a case where a dead Marine was found on the playground of Adi's school; she'd rushed out when she'd seen her parents at the crime scene through the window, and had insisted, since it was her school, that she could help with the case. Adi wore Gibbs' own NCIS hat, giggling. Ziva held her daughter close; the child's small arms were wrapped around her mother's neck, and they stood in front of the school; both had promised Adi one photograph before sending her back to school. Turns out, they'd closed the school so no more evidence would be compromised, and Adi had tagged along on the investigation all day, enjoying the time out in the field with her parents, Tony and Gibbs. She'd even delighted in the paperwork her parents had had to do before leaving work that day. If Gibbs hadn't known any better, it seemed that Tim and Ziva were raising a future NCIS agent.

He finished his drink and got up, heading upstairs. First thing in the morning, he'd talk to Leon about opening an investigation, and maybe even get Fornell to let Tony shadow Tim and Ziva as well as Adi.

There was no way he was going to let anyone- least of all Rivera if he was still alive- go after his kids.

He'd die before anyone so much as laid a hand on them.


	9. Chapter 9

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to Fried-Chicken-Nisha for reviewing 7 and mcgeeksgirl for reviewing 8.**

The sound of small puppy feet entered the kitchen. Tigyr sniffed at Ziva's feet, before gently nipping at her ankles. She chuckled softly, kneeling down and scooping the puppy up as she grabbed her cup of coffee. Instantly, the puppy began licking her face, making her laugh. She set her cup on the table and settled down, holding the small puppy close. "Oh _ken_, you are _quite_ a silly little thing..."

Since Tim was at work, and Adi at school, Ziva had her days to herself. She'd spent an hour chatting with Jackson Gibbs' over Skype, and had visited with Rivka in Israel before her mother went to bed. She'd just stepped out of the shower and now sat at the kitchen table with the puppy in her lap, a cup of coffee and a book on the table- the latest in her sister-in-law's _McGoren_ series. It was just her and the puppy-

The doorbell rang, and she quickly set the pup down before heading to the door. After a quick check through the peephole, she opened the door slightly. "Gibbs?" When she pulled it open all the way, the older agent stepped into the apartment, taking her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck, taking a deep breath. She pulled away, giving him a big smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Vance and Fornell have decided that with the recent threat to you, Tim and Adi, that you are in need of security detail." He said, as Ziva led him into the kitchen and quickly poured him a cup of coffee. After taking a seat, he glanced down when the puppy scratched at his pants' leg and whimpered. Ziva quickly picked the pup up and settled him on her lap.

"You came all the way to tell me that?" She asked, as the puppy caught a strand of dark hair in his baby teeth and tugged. Gibbs chuckled at the sight. "You heard that we had to put Jethro down." He nodded. "Adinaleh was pretty upset, so Tim and I told her she could get a puppy if she promised to take care of it." He chuckled as the pup tugged again on Ziva's hair, and she yanked it out of his grip.

"Wanted to make sure you and Tim heard it from me before anyone else."

"Tim is at work. He's in meetings with the president all day. And Adinaleh's at school. She starts her dance classes today after school gets out; she asked me to pick her up after school and take her. She doesn't feel comfortable enough to go with Amira just yet." She sighed. "Adinaleh's... having a little trouble settling into school."

"Trouble how, Ziver?" He asked, taking a swig of his coffee. She scratched behind the pup's ears, biting her lip.

"She says that she doesn't like it, yet, we allowed her to pick the school she went to. Tim and I both decided to send her to a private school- the best money could buy- but Adi insisted that she go to this school. I think, the only time I've ever seen her truly happy is in Israel, at our house near the olive groves. It's like... ever since that shooting, all she sees here is... pain, hurt. She doesn't see the good that's come from living here." She sighed, taking a sip of her coffee. "Like herself."

* * *

She slumped down in her seat; school couldn't end soon enough. She only vaguely listened to the teacher, and instead, flipped through the chapter they were on. Her gaze quickly read the words: _American Foreign Policy and Israeli Government_.

"Now, the Israeli Goverment's foreign policy in regards to America is-"

"'Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time.'"

Everyone in the class turned to look at her. "I'm sorry, did you say something, Ms. McGee?" Adi looked up, to find everyone staring at her, waiting for her to speak. "Care to elaborate?" She swallowed. "Ms. McGee?" A moment passed, before Mr. Winters, moved towards her desk. She quickly shook her head.

"No. That's okay." He raised an eyebrow.

"No, please, Ms. McGee. Enlighten us on your view of America's relationship with the Israeli Government." She glanced around; the other kids in the class watched her with curious eyes. A moment passed before she slowly sat up and swallowed.

"We... the... the Israeli-American relationship has been strained for decades. My..." She looked around. "_Abba_... met with the Israeli ambassador and other diplomats and they tried to draw up contracts on peace... but after the..." She reached up, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before lowering her gaze to the book. "After the sp... the _Mahpehkhah Avivah_..." She glanced up, to see them watching her intently. "The Spring Revolution... it... it happened when I was... eleven..." She took a deep breath. "They had to lock down the embassy. No one was allowed to leave._ Ima_ and I were at my _Savta_'s, out in the country... and we... we were scared they would break in and kill the ambassadors. They broke in and took them hostage instead." She glanced up at Mr. Winters, who nodded.

"They were protesting the Israeli-Pakistani Border being drawn up and split; the... the fence being built to split the West Bank down the middle, like the one separating Mexico and America along the southwestern border. There was a time when all Jews were..." She took a deep breath. "When all Jews were run out of Israel... _Ima_'s Jewish, and I'm half... there were bounties on the heads of half-Jews- imposters, as they called us- and... and since _Ima_'s married to_ Abba_, and I'm his daughter... we were... extremely valuable..." She reached up, grasping the necklace Tim and Ziva had given her that long ago day on the tar mat before they left. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"We had to flee to Jordan, and leave_ Abba_ behind, at the embassy..." Tears began to cloud her vision, but she quickly blinked them away. "We waited... they held the embassy hostage for three months... when they finally released those at the embassy... four were dead and the others weak or beaten. They'd killed the French and Italian Ambassadors to Israel, and two aides... _Abba_ was beaten, but... but he survived..." She took a deep, shaky breath. "When we returned to Israel... he was waiting for us at Savta's in the country, standing on the porch... I'd never been so scared in my life." Her eyes met Mr. Winters'. "America threatened to perform drone strikes on Tel Aviv in retaliation for the protest and hostage situation... any chances of addressing the fence splitting the West Bank vanished the day they took _Abba_ and sixty others hostage." She swallowed the lump in her throat and glanced at the clock on the wall. "Excuse me."

She climbed to her feet, grabbing her things and rushing from the room seconds before the bell sounded, ending class. She didn't hear the voice calling too her until she was halfway down the hall. "Hey! Israel!"

Quickly, she turned, to find herself face-to-face with the boy two lockers down from her. He had bright blue eyes, like Gibbs, and a smattering of freckles over his nose. She swallowed, not wanting to talk. "What?"

"I'm glad your... Ava-"

_"Abba."_ She corrected. He nodded.

"Right, your Ah-baa's okay." He said, sounding it out slowly. "And that quote, where did you learn it?" She shrugged, glancing at her feet.

"My _Ima_ taught it to me. It's one of her favorites." She replied. He nodded again, slowly this time.

"It's cool." He gave her a small smile. "Well, see you around, Israel." And with one last glance back to her, he left, along with hundreds of other kids for the buses and cars at the end of the school day.


	10. Chapter 10

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

"Adinaleh, set the table, would you? _Abba_ should be home soon-" Adi looked up from her homework at the sound of glass breaking, and she rushed into the kitchen. Ziva held tight to her wrist, palm up. A shard of glass was embedded in her hand, and she was shaking.

"_Ima!_ What happened?" Quickly, she grabbed a dish towel and held it under the sink, before wrapping it around her mother's hand. Ziva didn't seem to notice the blood or the glass, she just stared at it as though she were seeing a ghost. Adi glanced at her mother, realizing how pale she was. Slowly, she sat her down at the kitchen table and quickly dialed Gibbs' number. "Gibbs? Something's wrong with Ima. She's hurt, can you come over?"

By the time Gibbs had arrived, with Ducky in tow, Ziva had begun to flex her fingers, and her gaze moved to her former coworkers. Gibbs quickly knelt by Ziva's side. "What happened, Ziver? Talk to me." He asked softly, taking her face in his hands as Ducky began working on her hand. Ziva's dark eyes were unfocused and glazed with fear.

"T... Tim... something's wrong with... with my husband, Gibbs. I... cannot explain, but... what if he is hurt?" Gibbs met her gaze, seeing the tears fill her eyes.

* * *

He quickly rushed down the steps, towards his car. As he pulled his keys from his coat pocket, he quickly dialed home to let Ziva know he'd be late. As he hit the unlock button on his car keys, a blast threw him and several others back. When he looked up next, it was to see his car on fire, with the sound of sirens in the distance.

* * *

"_Abba_!" Adi threw her arms around Tim's neck as Tony and Fornell escorted him into the apartment. Still dazed, he loosely hugged her, before his gaze landed on Ziva.

"Tim!" She quickly hugged him before pulling away. "What happened? I got a call from Tony, saying that your car had exploded-" Tim nodded.

"Yeah... it... it did. I... I hit the button to unlock it..."

"It was probably set to detonate as you opened the door." Fornell said.

"Then why is McAmbassador still alive?" Tony asked, raising an eyebrow. Tim licked his lips.

"I... was hurrying down the steps and pulled out my phone to call Zi and let her know I was going to be late... and I... pulled my keys out and unlocked the car at the same time. I was still... on the Capitol steps. The... blast blew me back..." Ziva and Adi still clung to him, and he finally wrapped his arms tight around both his girls.

"We think it might be the work of Rivera, but we won't know anything until morning. We've cordoned off that area, and we'll start canvasing the scene tomorrow morning at oh-seven-hundred." Fornell turned to Tim. "You are not to go in to work tomorrow, you understand me, McGee?" Tim nodded, silent. "Good. I'll post someone outside the apartment-"

"I'll do it." Everyone turned to Tony. "Tim and Ziva are part of my family, and no one goes after my family. I'll stand watch." Gibbs and Fornell exchanged a glance before they and Ducky excused themselves, and Ziva nodded, saying softly,

"Fine. But first, come in and have something to eat, Tony. Dinner is ready and I have a feeling we could all use a hot meal." Adi went to Tony, wrapping him in a hug. As Ziva led Tim into the kitchen, he asked,

"Zi, what did you do to your hand?"

* * *

"I cannot explain it, Tim, but... I knew something was wrong tonight." Ziva swallowed, curling into his arms. He sighed. "When I cut my hand... I knew, you were in trouble..." He chuckled softly, kissing her hair.

"Your maternal instincts have always been strong, Zi." She shook her head, pulling away to look up at him.

"This was not maternal, Tim. It felt..." She licked her lips. "It felt as though a part of my soul had been damaged." He reached up, taking her head in his hands.

"I am okay, Zi. You will not lose me. We are_ b'sheirts_, remember? We will always find our way back to each other." She nodded, settling back into his arms.

* * *

Adi jumped at the sound of a locker slamming. Even though she hadn't been there, she could hear the sound of the bomb blast from the night before. She hadn't slept much the night before, and about oh-three-hundred, had gone to her parents, climbing into bed and holding tight to them like she'd done as a child. She'd been terrified that someone would come in and kill her parents in their sleep, and so she slept with one eye open, watching the door until Tim awoke at five and beckone her into the living room. He'd then fixed two cups of steaming tea and they'd sat on the sofa, Adi curled in her father's arms as Tim gently stroked her back and told her stories of the days when he and Ziva had still worked under Gibbs, years before she was even born. Adi had eventually fallen asleep in Tim's arms, listening to his stories, and he'd stayed in the living room, watching over her until Ziva came out looking for them.

"Whoa, why so jumpy, Israel?" She looked up, to see her locker buddy two spaces down, watching her.

"Sorry, didn't get much sleep last night." She replied, slamming her locker and heading to her Classic Literature class. He quickly fell into step beside her.

"Was it because of the bombing?" Her head snapped up.

"How do you know-" He shrugged.

"My dad's Secretary of Defense. He saw it happen." She nodded, turning and continuing. He kept up. "I don't think we offically met. You're... Adina, right?" She turned back to him.

"How do you-"

"Your dad had a photo of you and your mom on his desk. My dad asked him about it one day, he told him." She nodded.

"Ken... yes. I'm Adina. Adina McGee." He grinned as she held out her hand. After a moment, he took it in his firm grip.

"Adina. It's pretty. Exotic. I have just a plain old, boring name. Peter. Peter Calhoun." As bell rang announcing the first class, he rushed off, calling over his shoulder. "Nice to meet you, Israel!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to Fried-Chicken-Nisha for reviewing 9 and 10; None for reviewing 10.**

Tony looked up as Tim poked his head out the doorway. He instantly straightened. "What can I do for you, McGee?" A moment passed, before Tim pushed the door open and nodded.

"Come inside Tony."

"Love to, McFamily man, but my orders-"

"I know what your orders are, DiNozzo. But even so, it's chilly out here; come in and warm up. Dinner's almost ready. Zi made sure Adi set a place for you." Tony raised an eyebrow.

"I don't wanna impose, McGee-"

"You wouldn't be DiNozzo if you didn't." Tim cracked, a grin tugging at his lips. "Come on. Adi's gotten used to having her_ Dohd_ around." A moment passed, before Tony glanced around, and then followed the former Ambassador into the apartment. Tony stood in the living room, watching as Tim headed into the kitchen and wrapped Ziva in a hug from behind, pressing a kiss to her neck. She giggled, turning her head to meet his gaze before she caught his lips in a kiss. Tony chuckled. He couldn't believe it.

McGee, his probie, a family man. And Ziva, his Mossad ninja, a housewife.

The sound of soft yipping drew his attention away from the couple, and he looked down, to see Adi's German Shepard puppy, Tigyr, scratching at his leg, begging for pets. The pup had grown in the time since they'd gotten him, and after a moment, Tony knelt down and scratched behind his ears. The sight of bare feet caught his attention, and he followed the legs up, until he was staring into his goddaughter's face. She smiled at him. "Tony _Dohd_." He stood as Adi threw her arms around his neck. In the kitchen, Tim and Ziva looked up from their soft conversation and exchange of kisses to see Adi wrapped tight in Tony's arms.

"How are you doin' Adi-girl? How's school?" He asked, pulling away and holding her at arm's length. She shrugged.

"It's school. How's working under Fornell?" She asked in response, grinning and turning to head into the kitchen, as her parents added the salad and chicken to the table. Tony groaned, to Ziva and Tim's silent delight.

"He's insufferable." Tony replied, joining the family at the table, as had been their nightly tradition since Tony had volunteered to guard the family, little over a week ago. It was nice, having Tony sit down to dinner with them, with his stories of his days on the Boston PD. Adi, of course, always made a point of asking how he and Abby were doing. Ziva and Tim chuckled. Not long after Tim and Ziva had moved to Israel, Tony and Abby had moved in together- unable to keep denying that their 'brother-sister' relationship was just that, they'd finally given into feelings they'd been denying for years.

"He's a lot like Gibbs, Tony." Ziva said, taking a sip of her drink. Tony snorted.

"Could be why he married Gibbs' fourth wife. They're one in the same." Tim said, taking a bite of his salad.

"Yeah. They're both... mysterious. As only Gibbs and Fornell can be. Fornell a little less, but... this reminds me of _Rebecca_, where the homely second Mrs. DeWinter is faced with the memory of the mysterious first wife, Rebecca-" Tim and Ziva shared a look, rolling their eyes. Tony and his movie references, no matter the years that passed, hadn't changed.

"Are you and Abby going to get married?" The table fell silent, and all three adults turned to Adi. She glanced from one to the other. "What? They moved in together, obviously they're going to get married, right? That's what you and _Abba_ did." Ziva licked her lips, glancing at Tim.

"Adinaleh, _Abba_ and I were already married by the time we moved in together. And by then, I'd finally come to the U.S. No matter what Gibbs said, we were living together because we were married, his rules be damned." Tony thought a moment.

"Well, some of his rules be damned." He said, earning a narrow-eyed glance from Ziva. "Like 'Never date a woman that eats more than you do.'" Tim raised an eyebrow. "Or Rule Twenty-Three, 'Never mess with a Marine's coffee... if you want to live.'"

"That one's true." Tim and Ziva said in unison. Adi giggled.

"You should know that, Tony. Considering you did mess with Gibbs' coffee... once." Ziva said, sipping her drink with a smirk on her face. Tony groaned, shaking his head.

* * *

Tony watched as Ziva slipped onto the sofa next to Tim. She slipped her legs over his lap, curling close. "This is nice. The three of us, together again." Tim 'hmmed' softly against her head, his lips brushing her dark curls. "It's been a long time since it's been just our little trio." Tony chuckled.

"You two seem perfectly content as a duo." Tim's bright green eyes locked on Tony's for a moment, before he closed them and pressed another kiss to his wife's head.

"But it is not the same without Gibbs." Ziva said, tangling her fingers through Tim's. She laid her head against his chin, watching Tony, who was lounging in the chair. Tony sighed, glancing back towards the bedrooms.

"Adi-girl's grown quite a bit." He said, turning back to her parents. "I... I remember the day you went into labor with her, Ziva. Gibbs hung up the phone and grabbed his keys. Told me to get to the elevator, just as Vance was coming down the stairs. Told him that you were in labor, and I remember hearing him tell everyone in the other offices that they could have the day off." Ziva chuckled softly.

"And then?" She asked. Tony shrugged.

"Gibbs and I got to Bethseda and... we waited outside the delivery room. He paced for hours."

"I could see him through the window." Tim added. "I swore he was going to wear a trench in the hallway. I was actually surprised he was patient as he was that day."

"I don't think he wanted to worry anyone. But he was anxious, we all were. We could hear your screaming through the door, Ziva... God, to imagine what you'd gone through..." Tony shuddered, and Tim and Ziva chuckled.

"It was worth every ounce of pain, Tony, to hear her first cries." Ziva whispered, as her gaze pulled away from their former partner, to the teenager shuffling into the room.

"What are you doing up, Adinaleh?" Ziva asked, sitting up. Adi rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"I forgot something." She replied. Tony and her parents shared confused glances- that were suddenly answered as Adi went to Tony and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "Tony_ Dohd, lailah tov_." She squeezed his shoulders quickly, and he wrapped her in a hug, pressing a kiss to her head.

"Sweet dreams, Adi-girl." He replied as she pulled away and headed back to bed.


	12. Chapter 12

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to mcgeeksgirl, Fried-Chicken-Nisha and None for reviewing 11.**

The teacher quickly scrawled, _The Holocaust_ onto the blackboard, turning to the class. Adi sighed; she loved her World History class, but she hated the way American teachers tried to make it sound like America had done everything to save the world; how they thought they were the best and could do nothing wrong. She'd learned under other teachers- French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Israeli, and all held a view that acknowledged the help of other countries; none were so narcisstic as Americans. "Now, who's heard of the Holocaust?" A few people raised their hands. "Good, now-" But Adi didn't lower her hand. She turned back to the class, surprised. "Yes, Ms. McGee? Something you'd like to say?"

Adi slowly lowered her hand. "Are we going to be studying the well-known German Holocaust, where Hitler ordered the extermination of the Jews, or the lesser known Turkish Holocaust perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire during the First World War, or the Bosnian Holocaust in 'ninety-five? _Or_ are we going to be studying Darfur and Rwanda and their own genocides of an unknown number of African peoples that the select governments killed in order to gain control of their various governments?"

The teacher's mouth dropped in surprise. A moment passed, before she turned and wrote, _1935-1945_, on the blackboard. Adi sank in her seat. "Of course, we're going to focus on the mass extermination of the Jews perpetrated by Hilter as part of his Final Solution. Because God forbid we should discuss another of the countless genocides that have happened over the centuries." She muttered, flipping through her history book.

"Now, Hitler's 'Final Solution' as he called it, involved exterminating the Jewish people in order to make way for the pure race, the Germans-"

"Despite the fact that Hitler himself had Jewish blood in him. But no, let's just exterminate an entire race because _we don't like them_." Adi muttered, skimming her book.

"Do you have something you want to share, Ms. McGee?" Adi kept quiet. "Now, Hitler felt that by exterminating the Jews, he would be getting rid of all the dirty blood-"

"Because Jews are _so_ unclean. Which makes half-Jews filthy." The teacher stopped writing and turned.

_"Ms. McGee!"_ The entire class stopped taking notes and turned to look at the exotic beauty. "I am _tired_ of your running commentary. If you have something to say, say it instead of muttering it under your breath." Adi glanced at the woman, before quickly looking around. She set her pencil down and sat back. "Thank you." She turned back to her notes. "Now, Hitler created concentration camps which he used to round up, divide and exterminate countless-"

"_Im hayu samim et hamo'ach shelcha b'tarnegol, hu haya ratz yashar l'shochet_." Several other students sat back, surprised. The teacher turned back to Adi.

"What?"

Adi crossed her arms over her chest. "It means, if they had to put your brain in a chicken, it would run straight to the butcher. It's _an insult_." The teacher raised her eyebrows in confusion. Adi rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Have you ever been to the Holocaust Museum, Mrs. Ketchum?"

"I'm afraid I haven't, Ms. McGee." Adi nodded.

"Well, have you been to the concentration camps? You know, Bergen-Belsen, Sobibor, Belzec, Dachau, Buckenwald, Mauthausen-Gusen? What about Auschwitz-Birkenau? What about the Ghettos? Have you been to Krakow? Lomza? What about Warsaw? You ever been there?" Adi asked, leaning forward on her desk. "I have. I've seen it all. I've walked through the rooms and seen the beds those prisoners slept on. And you know what? The camps? Even after all these years, you can still _smell_ the burning flesh."

"Ms. McGee-"

"And the museum? In the D.C.,? Just as heartbreaking. You're given an ID card when you enter of someone that was in the Holocaust, and then you're shuffled into this elevator, and it's cramped and hot and you can't move, and when you get out on the top floor, you can only shuffle along, otherwise you'll run into people. And they have uniforms the prisoners wore, and images and video of the Nazis rounding up Jews. And as you move down the floors, it gets easier to move. On the second floor, they have a box car you can walk through, and a minature replica of Auschwitz, and the bunk beds. And they have a small room on the Annex and Anne Frank, and then they have a display on the Warsaw Uprising. And in that display is a pile of shoe, with the words, 'We are the last witnesses.' on the description card. And as you leave that floor, they have the sign that hung over Auschwitz displayed: _Arbeit macht frei_. 'Work makes you free.'"

No one said anything, they just listened as Adi described the sights she'd seen as a child, going through the Holocaust Museum. Most of these kids had never been to the museum. "And at one point, you cross a catwalk bridge, and on the walls surrounding that, there are hundreds upon hundreds of portraits that the Germans stole from the Jews. As you go down the lower levels, and come to the Wall of Remembrance, there's lots of space, symbolizing the number of Jews that died thanks to the Germans. And the... the Wall of Remembrance... it's a room, with candles and a plaque, promising to never forget. It's quiet, it's peaceful. And then you look at the ID Card you were given upon entering the museum, and it tells you whether your person lived or died. Ninety percent of the time, the person on the ID card didn't survive."

"Ms. McGee-" But Adi raised tear-filled eyes to the woman.

"Most of the time, you get someone who you've never heard of, but occasionally, the person on the ID is someone you didn't even know was in your family tree." She swallowed. "So before you spew your Americanized, self-riteous, narcassistic view of the Nazi Holocaust, think about the lives it costs." Adi said, grabbing her books and fleeing from the room.

* * *

"Mr. Secretary?" Tim sighed. He'd been in the middle of paperwork in regards to the President's meeting with the German Chancellor, and preferred not to be disturbed.

"Not now, Kayla, I-"

"Your wife is here. She insists to see you; says it's urgent." A moment passed before Tim tossed his pen on the desk.

"Send her in." He sat back in the chair; Ziva stopped in the middle of the room, at the sight of her husband sitting back in his chair. He looked quite handsome in his suit, at his desk, but she quickly shook herself from those thoughts. "Zi, mah karah?" He asked, getting up and going to her. She threw her arms around his neck once he got close enough.

"It's Adinaleh. I got a call from the principal. She left school during third period, and hasn't returned." Tim took her shoulders, gently guiding his wife to a chair.

"Zi, calm down, ahvuti." She swallowed, taking his hand.

"We have to find her, Tim. With Rivera out there, she's a target-"

"We'll find her, Zi." He pressed a kiss to her head, before getting up and going to his desk. He quickly grabbed his phone, saying, "What's Adi's third period?" Ziva swallowed, getting up and going to his desk.

"World History. They're studying the German _Shoah_ that took place during the Second War." Ziva whispered, meeting her husband's eyes. "Why?" He stopped, thinking. Suddenly, he threw the phone down, and grabbed his coat. Taking her hand, he pulled her from the room. "Timothy, where are we going?"

"I know where she is!" He cried, rushing through the capitol. Neither looked back, but both heard Tony's footsteps following close behind.


	13. Chapter 13

******Ri****fiuto: No****n Miriena**

******A/N: Finally got this chapter edited and cleaned. Sorry it took so long; Nutcracker rehearsals have been taking up most of my time, and I briefly forgot about this for a time. **

**T****hanks to Fried-Chicken-Nisha, None and Basketball12 for reviewing 12.**

"She's not here. I don't see her."

Tony skidded to a stop, struggling to catch his breath. He'd trailed Tim and Ziva from the moment they left Tim's office at the Capitol, and at one point, had lost sight of the pair, forcing himself to double back and retrace before he found them. "Who are you looking for, Mr. and Mrs. McGee?" The attendant asked. They stood at the entrance to the Holocaust Museum, watching the patrons come out or go in.

"Adina. Have you seen her?" Ziva asked, turning to the kid. When Ziva had first moved to D.C., she'd asked Tim to take her to the museum.

"She just left." Ziva raised her eyebrows.

"When?" The kid shrugged. Everyone who worked the museum knew Adina; she was always there, wandering around, drinking everything in, talking and chatting with the tour guides. The teenager was a regular fixture at the museum, and everyone, from the guards to the guides to the woman that ran the giftshop, knew the Secretary of State's daughter, and often let her in for free, though she almost always left a donation, or paid for another patron's ticket.

"About forty-five minutes ago." Ziva nodded.

"Thanks Mike." She grabbed Tim's hand. "Come on. Let's go." Tony rushed after them, stopping halfway down the sidewalk, as Tim and Ziva rushed to their car.

"Guys! Wait up!" He took a deep breath. "I'm getting too old for this."

* * *

They found her in Gibbs' basement, sanding a small block of wood from the pile of pieces Gibbs kept in the corner of his basement, in case Adi came over to visit. Slowly, Ziva and Tim headed down the stairs, moving cautiously. Tony stayed at the top, watching from the landing as Adi sanded the block of wood on the table in front of her. She picked up one of the whittling tools Gibbs had, but after a few minutes, set it down.

"Adinaleh?" Slowly, the girl looked up, tears in her eyes. Ziva went to her daughter, taking a seat beside the girl and reaching out to brush a strand of dark hair from her faced. "I got a call from the principal. You left school. Why?" The girl sniffled.

"We were... studying the Shoah, and... and... and all they were going to do was sugarcoat it, like they always do. Say that it wasn't that big a deal that Hitler was wiping out an entire race, and that whole families were destroyed just because they looked different than what he wanted Germany to look like." Gently, Ziva brushed the tears off her daughter's cheeks, silent. "And I... the last time I was at the museum, I... I found a name on the _Wall of Resistance_, that I didn't know. So I wrote it down and looked it up..." She sniffled, turning to look at Tim, who stood behind his wife. "She was your grandmother,_ Abba_. Kathleen McGee hid and smuggled Jews out of Amsterdam until forty-three, when her brother-in-law turned her and her husband in. By then, she'd already sent their son and daughter to America to stay with relatives, but Kathleen and James stayed and were sent to Auschwitz-Birkeneau." Ziva turned to her husband, surprised by the new information on his family.

"She was the daughter of a high-ranking official in Ireland, and she'd been married at eighteen. She raised her children until Hitler took over the Netherlands, and then sent the kids to America, so they'd be safe. They stayed behind and helped the Dutch resistance when Germany took over the occupations of the country. She and James got hundreds of Jews out of Holland, Abba." She turned back to Ziva, fresh tears in her eyes. A moment passed, before she grabbed her bag and pulled a couple folded pieces of paper out, smoothing them and handing them to her mother. "One of the people she helped was a woman named Ahuva David and her two children, A... Adina and Elijah. Ahuva's husband had been smuggled to Israel two years earlier, and Ahuva and the kids were supposed to join him, but they got caught in the occupation. Kathleen and James hid them in the basement of their house for six months, before they were able to sneak the children out of the country. Ahuva refused to go; she stayed and helped hide other Jews."

Slowly, Ziva unfolded the papers, revealing copies of Jewish identification booklets, one for Kathleen McGee, the other for Ahuva David. She looked up when Tim laid a hand on her shoulder. "She looks like you, _ahvuti_." Tim whispered, gesturing to the photograph of Ahuva. Even with the grainy, photographic image, he could see the similarities between Ziva and the woman in the photograph. They could have been sisters. Adi took a deep, shaky breath.

"When they were caught, Kathleen and James and Ahuva were sent to Auschwitz, and separated. Ahuva was shot immediately after arrival, and James was later sent to Bergen-Belsen, and died on a death march. Kathleen was burned in the ovens at Auschwitz." She looked up at her mother, tears in her eyes. "She was _your savta g'dolah, Ima_. Your great-grandmother. Ahuva was your_ savta g'dolah_."

"So your families were destined to collide again, Tim." He glanced behind him; Tony had come down the stairs, joining them. The former agent nodded, turning back to his wife and daughter.

"Ahuva's husband died in Israel in forty-five, so their children were orphans, they were forced to raise themselves..." Adi sniffled, licking her lips. "She was just going to sugar-coat it, like they always do. She was going to say that it was no big deal, and deny that it even happened." She met her parents gazes, swallowing. "How can people deny it? The Nazis kept_ everything_- shoes, glasses, locks of hair, _dentures_... they killed_ millions_, and didn't even think _once_ about the people they were gassing or shooting or burning... that... that there were people that loved them, _waiting_ for them..." She choked on a sob. "Like Kathleen... she had two children, waiting for her in America, missing her, and she _never came home_..." She choked on a sob, curling into Ziva's side as her mother wrapped her arms around her child.

Tim sighed, watching as his wife held their daughter close, stroking her back and humming softly to her in Hebrew.

* * *

When they'd returned home, Tim and Ziva had been forced to face an angry Gibbs, who'd spent all afternoon attempting to chase the Secretary of State and his wife around as they searched for their daughter. Once he was satisfied that all three were all right, Gibbs returned home.

"Adinaleh, you can't just run off like that!" She didn't look up. Instead, she sat on the sofa, Tigyr in her lap. "Do you know how_ worried_ I was when I got the phone call from your principal? I thought you'd left school and... and gotten snatched off the street or hit by a car or-"

"But I _didn't_,_ Ima_! I just caught the subway and went to the Holocaust Museum and then I went to Gibbs' place! I was _fine_!" Tim sighed and took a seat in the armchair as his wife spun on their daughter. He'd already chewed her out on the ride home; Ziva had kept quiet until the apartment door closed. Tony returned to standing guard, but Tim knew that he could hear the yelling through the door, even though Ziva had _tried_ to keep her voice down.

"We don't care about that, Adina. What we care about is that you left school without telling anyone where you were going or why you were leaving or how to get ahold of you." Tim replied, looking up at his child from the armchair. Adina looked down at the puppy, reaching up to stroke his ears.

"I just didn't want to be there, _Abba_. They lie and they push their self-righteous, pompous, narcissistic views on you, and they make it seem like the Jews got what they deserved. They don't care about anyone but themselves. Most of the kids in that class have never been to the Holocaust Museum, let alone know who Anne Frank is or what she went through. They can't list the death camps or the ghettos the Jews were forced into. Most of them don't even know the number of Jews the Nazis were suspected of killing. A lot of them don't believe the Holocaust even existed. How can I possibly go to a school where-"

_"We didn't want you to go to this school, Adinaleh!"_ Tim snapped. Tony winced; he hadn't heard Tim raise his voice like that in years. Of the two, Tim was more logical and levelheaded than Ziva; he also played disciplinarian more than his wife, but never, had he laid a hand on Adi in any way that would be looked at as abuse. Both Ziva and Tim didn't believe in striking, unlike their fathers, who, at some point, had struck them each in their childhood years. "We already had the school chosen that you were going to go to, but we decided that it was your decision to pick the school you wanted to go to! Obviously, we made a mistake in letting you choose the school!" Tim stood and Adi winced out of reflex. He went to the kitchen, pouring a cup of coffee as he spoke. "First thing next week, Ima and I will ask the school to transfer all of your paperwork to Rosewood Academy."

"What's Rosewood?" Adi asked, turning to her mother. Ziva accepted the cup Tim handed her, whispering,

"It's the private school your Abba and I chose for you to attend, before we let you decide. You can either live in the dorms there or live at home with us." Adi's mouth dropped in shock.

"You... you going to put me _in private school_?" She screamed, turning to her father. Tim nodded, sipping his coffee. "You can't do that!" She sourcreamed, climbing to her feet. Everyone turned as Tony opened the door, slipping inside, concerned at the raised voices.

"Everything okay in here, McFamily?" He asked, glancing from his former partners to his goddaughter. Adi's eyes narrowed, and she stormed over to Tony.

"Everything's_ fine_, Tony _Dohd_, because my parents are dictating what I can and can't do. _Don't you trust me_?" She screamed, turning back to her parents. "You let me stay with _Savta_ when I was ten!"

"That _was different_, Adina! Alejandro Rivera wasn't out there, plotting to kill us in our sleep! This is entirely different-"

"How?" Adi challenged, as Ziva got up, making her way to her daughter. "You were in Mossad by the time you were my age, Ima. You got to do whatever you wanted, but I can't? How is that_ fair_?"

"I didn't get to do whatever I wanted, Adina. Your grandfather was cruel; when I was ten, he took your Aunt Tali and I out to the woods and left us there to find our own way home! He brought death and destruction everywhere he went! I had no choice- as soon as I hit sixteen, I had to join Mossad, and it took me years to get out of it! Your grandfather didn't have an affectionate bone in his body when it came to his family! I was raised around violence and death, Adina, that is_ not_ what I wanted for you! But you would have been if my father had had his way! That's what he planned, as soon as he found out about you! He planned to take you away fromus and raise you in Israel! Raise you and train you as a killer, shape you so that you would turn out like I did- only he'd have kept you away from everyone, and turn you as dark and cold as he was! _That_ was his plan! And _Abba_ and I were _not going to let that happen_! We'd have_ died_ before we let him take you away, and_ Abba nearly did_!"

Adi opened her mouth to say something, but closed her mouth, thinking. "I will not go to that school! I'd rather quit and join the circus before setting foot in Rosewood!" Tim pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Adinaleh, this is for your own good! We can't have you running off whenever you feel like it! You're not some child who lives out in the backwoods of Kentucky, you're diplomat's daughter! You have no say!"

"But you let me have a say, you've_ always_ let me have a say-"

_"Not anymore!"_ Tim snapped; Tony winced. He knew that Tim was just trying to protect his daughter, but even so, seeing him so angry was a sight Tony hadn't been graced with since Ziva had been left in Somalia to die. "From this point on, you have no say, in anything! Understood?" Adi turned to Ziva, green eyes pleading.

"_Ima_-" But her mother shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Adina, but _Abba_ is right. We've let you run wild for_ too long_. Not anymore. Not with Rivera out there, wanting our blood on his hands. It's too risky. At Rosewood, we can keep an eye on you and you'll be protected."

"But-" Ziva held up a hand, ending the argument.

"No 'buts', Adina. You start at Rosewood next week." Their daughter glanced from them to Tony and back, before stomping her foot in anger.

"_I hate you both!"_ Tony watched both parents jump as the door to their daughter's bedroom slammed. Ziva leaned into Tim, burying her face in his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Her first 'I hate you'- that's a milestone in and of itself. Never thought it would happen, right?" Tony cracked, as Tim and Ziva turned annoyed glares on their former partner.


	14. Chapter 14

******Ri****fiuto: No****n Miriena**

******Thanks to earthdragon and Reader for reviewing 13.**

"We deserve this. We absolutely deserve this."

Tim sighed, rubbing his wife's back, but kept quiet. Ziva leaned into him, forehead resting against his shoulder; she held tight to his other hand as they sat on the sofa. An hour had passed since Adi had stormed off to her room, but neither had gone to talk to the teen.

"You want my opinion?" Tim looked over to Tony, who sat in the armchair Tim had vacated earlier, elbows on his knees. Ziva tilted her head to the side, staring at him.

"Not really, DiNozzo, but since you're going to talk anyway, we don't really have a choice whether we want it or not." Tim snarked, narrowing his eyes, even as Ziva buried her face further into his shoulder. Tony chuckled softly, taking a deep breath.

"I know you two think you're doing the right thing, playing the fun parents, by letting her do what she wants and make her own choices-"

"Get to the point, Tony." Tim replied, squeezing his wife's side. Tony chuckled softly.

"But you're not. If anything, you've screwed yourselves over good."

"Which means?" Ziva asked, exasperated.

"You were both raised by strict parents, right? Strict fathers?" Ziva glanced at Tim, before nodding.

"Yes." Her husband whispered. "If you didn't do something the Ambassador liked, or didn't follow his plan, he'd... well, in my case, when I married Zi and not some 'good Catholic girl' like I was supposed to, he threatened to disown me. And when I refused to divorce Zi, he actually did. Not that I need him anyway; I'm doing much better on my own. Everything I need is right here." He whispered, meeting his wife's eyes and gently reaching up to brush a stray strand off her cheek. She gave him a soft smile, brushing her thumb over the apple of his cheek before pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

"And my father," Ziva started, tucking her head beneath Tim's chin. "Well... you all saw what he did to me, leaving me to die in Somalia, abandoning me when I needed him most, threatening to take my child from me..." She stopped, swallowing the lump in her throat. "And he nearly did. He nearly wiped out my entire family in one night." She whispered, reaching up and laying a hand against Tim's chest, over the scar he bore from the surgery that had saved his life. Tony watched his former partners, saw how Ziva clung to Tim, how he pressed a kiss to her head.

"And that strictness, it shaped who you are. And I know you didn't want to be the same way with Adi-girl, so you've done everything in your power to be the exact opposite of what you grew up around. Abandonment, physical, mental, emotional, psychological abuse, all of it; you've done your best not to turn out like them. I've watched you both, try to give Adi everything she ever wanted, everything neither of you had. But the one thing you haven't given her, is discipline. Rules-"

"We've given her rules, she just doesn't follow them." Tim replied.

"Because you're too loose with her. You need to keep her on a tight leash, which is what you should have been doing from the moment she was able to walk. I understand about then, she was a child, and she stuck close to both of you, but now... she needs rules and guidelines and maybe a good head slap."

"We've never hit Adina, Tony, you _know_ that. Both Tim and I got smacked around more than once by our fathers, and when we got pregnant with Adi, we _swore_ we would never lay a hand on her like our fathers did to us. And so far, that's been one promise we've been able to keep." Tony nodded.

"Yeah, I know. But just because the two of you refuse to hit her, doesn't mean I can't-"

"You lay one hand on my daughter's head and what Damon did to you that day, Tony, will look and feel like a scraped knee." Tim replied firmly. No matter how angry he was at Adina, he was still her father, and it was still his job to protect his daughter.

"Or that Gibbs can't." Tony amended, waiting for Tim to object, but even Tim knew better than to go against Gibbs. "You reap what you sow, and all you've done, from the moment she was born, is over-compensate for how your fathers treated you, and unfortunately, she's grown up spoiled. I hate to say it, because I know you both have tried not to, but you've spoiled her, you both have. Neither one of you is innocent in that. But I also know that with everything you've gone through in the last few years, it was... kind of warranted. She's your only child, and you're both very protective of her, and you want to give her everything, and you pretty much _have_. I'm sure, that if she asked for the world on a string, you'd find some way to give it to her."

"But we also raised ourselves, Tony. You know that, you were the same way. Your father abandoned you, you raised yourself just like Tim and I did. We have tried to be there for Adina-"

"And you have been, Ziva. As much as you possibly can be." Tony cut her off. "But that doesn't excuse the fact that the two of you have spoiled that girl rotten. I admit, we all have our vices-"

"For you, alcohol." Ziva said.

"And women." Tim added.

"Not anymore." Tony replied. "And for the two of you..." He stopped, thinking.

"Sex." Tim whispered, as Ziva looked up at him, nodding.

"And violence, to some extent. If our workout sessions are any indication." She whispered, closing her eyes briefly, as he brushed his lips against her forehead. Tony chuckled; it never would have occurred to him that Tim and Ziva's vices were sex and violence. Ziva, sure, but Tim? Then again, with everything he'd faced in the last few years, why not?

"My point being, yes, you've been there for her like your father's weren't for you, but in doing so, you've let Adi run wild. It's almost like she's one of those feral kids living with monkeys in the Amazon. She has no rules-" He stopped at Ziva's glare. "Other than the few you've set, but what I'm getting at, is that outside of the usual rules parents set for kids, she doesn't have any real barriers and signs telling her that she can't do this or do that. You've been too lenient with her, you both have."

Tim sighed, standing. He paced back and forth, running a hand through his hair; greying, Tony noticed. But with his line of work, and the chaos he and Ziva had faced in the last few years, Tony really wasn't surprised. They weren't as young as they had been when they were still under Gibbs' thumb, when Tim and Ziva were reunited ten years after their separation and secret marriage, when Adi was born, when she was learning to walk, to talk, to ride a bike. Back when they'd turned in their badges and owned up to their own mistakes. They were all getting older, and life was beginning to take its toll on all of them.

"You think we don't realize that?" Tim snapped, turning on his former partner. "You think I haven't noticed that my daughter is prancing around like she's the Queen of Sheba? I know that, and I'll admit, I haven't done what I should with Adina, and it's my fault, I'm her father, but..."

"It's_ our_ fault, Tim." Ziva said, getting up and going to her husband. She wrapped her arm around his, hand moving down to lace with his. "I am just as responsible for Adina turning out the way she has as you are. We are both at fault on this front. We should have... paid more attention to her when she was a child..."

"It's not that you didn't pay attention to her, Ziva, it's that you paid too _much _attention to her." Tony got up, going to them, for once, the voice of reason among the three. "She's... brilliant, Adi-girl. The two of you are both brilliant in your own way, but together, you're geniuses, and that's dangerous. And in the end result, you have Adina, who has both of your minds, and that makes her a menace to society." Ziva chuckled softly, and even Tim cracked a small smile. "She's not stupid; none of you are. She just knows how to use it and plays it to the hilt. The girl could work for NSA if she wanted." Tim rolled his eyes.

"Those idiots? Please. Not even CIA would be caught dead in NSA HQ. Besides, I think if Adi had to choose, she'd pick NCIS. She doesn't think too highly of FBI as is, but she loves NCIS."

"Because she was raised around it. And who knows, maybe she'll end up under Gibbs' thumb one day. God knows he'd keep her in line. First smack to the head, and she'll never cross another line again."

A sharp knock sounded on the door, and after a moment, Tony went to the door, pulling it open at the sight of Gibbs through the peephole. "How did he-" Ziva asked, turning to her husband as Gibbs spoke.

"I caught this, sneaking around outside my front yard. I'd have locked her in the basement, but I figured you two wanted her back."


	15. Chapter 15

******Ri****fiuto: No****n Miriena**

******Thanks to Reader and earthdragon for reviewing 14.**

Surprise didn't even begin to describe the expressions on Tony, Ziva and Tim's faces. Silence filled the apartment, before Tim shook himself from his shock and went to the pair in the door, grabbing his daughter's arm and yanking her into the apartment. "What the... how the... when did... wh..." He stopped, taking a deep breath, letting go of Adina and running his fingers through his hair. "You are going to drive me to _drink,_ Adina Kelly. What the_ hell_ were you thinking? How the hell... exactly how did... when did you..." But he stammered to a halt, mentally counting to ten before he spoke again. Adi shrugged, glancing down at her hands.

"It wasn't that hard,_ Abba_. Window, fire escape, four foot drop, not like it's Alcatraz, and finding Gibbs' house... I could find it in my sleep." She replied, glancing at Gibbs and Ziva, a hint of pride in her voice. When she turned that same small, self-satisfied smirk to her father, though-

_"Timothy!"_

Adi reared back, reaching up to hold her cheek, shock in her green eyes. Her mouth dropped, but all she could do was gape, a fish out of water, the sting of her father's palm stinging worse than a sunburn. Tim had never struck her, never laid a hand on her, even though there had been times when he'd desperately wanted to. He'd been on the receiving end of his father's palms more than once, and he'd sworn when Adi was born, that he'd never lay a hand on her like his father had done to him. But this time, she deserved it.

_"Daddy..."_ Her eyes filled with tears, and she shook, surprised at the anger reflected in eyes that had held nothing but love for her from the moment she'd been born. Her voice was small, she visibly shrunk into herself, afraid he'd strike her again, and though Tim wanted to, he turned from her, forcing himself to remain calm.

"Go to your room, Adina, and you _stay_ there. I catch you sneaking out that window again, and you'll wake up in _next week, understand me_?" She nodded, but stayed put. "I said _your room! Now Adina! Ach'shav B'evakasha_! _Don't make me tell you again!"_ Without another word, Adi turned and rushed to her room, slamming the door behind her. Once she was gone, Ziva was the first to speak, going to her husband. She grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him close to her.

_"What the hell were you thinking, Timothy? Striking our daughter? Have you lost your mind?"_ He pulled away from her, not bothering to hide his temper. Normally, Ziva was the only one Tim would back down from, but not this time, not with their daughter acting like she was. He loved Ziva with all his heart, but he was just as tempted to strike her as he'd been to strike Adina.

_"No, Zi, I think I've found it! This has gone on for too long and she needs to be disciplined! Rivera is out there, and if we aren't careful, Adi is going to get herself killed-"_

"So you _strike our daughter_? The one thing we swore-_ we swore_- when she was born that we would _never do_! _We promised! We promised ourselves and we promised her, the day she was born that we would never hit her! No matter how angry we got or how much she deserved it! We swore that we would never do what our fathers did! That we would never turn into them! You promised me, Timothy!_ _You promised me that you would never lay a hand on her, just as I promised you! How could you?"_ She shoved him roughly, swearing angrily in Hebrew.

It wasn't often that the couple locked horns, but when they did, it often resulted in World War III. Both had tempers, both were quick to snap and strike out at each other, but often with words instead of actions. Both balanced each other out, they were a good match; where Tim was technical and analytical, Ziva was logical and fairly emotionless. But when it came to her family...

From the moment Adi had been conceived, Ziva's protective, maternal mama bear instincts had started bubbling to the surface. And when Adi was a child, Ziva let her emotions show; she had begun to express them more and more over the years. She counted her family first, and if her child was ever taken from her, or hinted at being taken from her, she went on the warpath, doing all she could to ensure no harm came to her baby girl. The same went for her husband. Although, right now, it looked like Tony and Gibbs would possibly have to step in and separate the couple.

_"You struck my baby!"_ She snapped, grabbing the front of Tim's shirt and yanking him roughly towards her. _"You don't lay a hand on my child, whether you're her father or not, you don't strike my child!"_

_"She needed it! She's gotten out of control, Ziva! So, what, we're just supposed to let her run wild? That's going to get her and us killed! Or is that what you want?"_ Tim snapped, as Ziva lashed out, but he grabbed her wrist, tightening as he pulled her closer and dug his nails into her soft flesh. But before either could speak, Ziva was yanked away and lifted off her feet by Tony, who set her behind him, while Gibbs stepped in front of Tim, blocking his view of his wife.

"That's enough! Both of you! You're as bad as Adina!"

"Although, we can see where she gets it." Tony said, as Ziva wrenched away from him, a glare on her features. Gibbs glared at his former Senior agent, before turning back to his two youngest.

"I get where she's coming from, believe me, I do. But you have got to stop going at each others' throats like this and raise her! She's your child, she needs the two of you to look out for her and protect her! And right now, you're not doing that, you're turning on each other, pointing fingers and throwing temper tantrums like your a couple of first graders! You need to stop blaming each other and raise your daughter!" He glanced from one to the other and back. "She's still your child, and you need to protect her, that is your first job as her parents!"

"_How would you know, Gibbs? You lost Kelly when she was eight! You don't remember what it's like to be a father!"_ Tim snapped, pulling away from his former boss.

Silence fell, casting the apartment in chilled sorrow and bitter anger. Slowly, Gibbs turned back to Tim, steely blue eyes fixed on his youngest 'son.' Tim didn't back down; he lifted his chin, green eyes sparking with barely contained anger. A moment passed, before the silver-haired former team leader strode towards the Secretary of State, studying him. For one moment, the men locked eyes, and Gibbs realized that his youngest wasn't the quiet, eager-to-please computer genius he'd chosen for his team all those years ago anymore. No, Tim had grown and changed and come into his own, becoming a strong-minded, level-headed young man with a good head on his shoulders; their probie was gone, replaced by a young man who'd seen and done more than anyone should have. He'd done all he could to protect his wife and child, and for that, Gibbs was proud of him.

And then, in one swift motion, Gibbs' hand connected with the back of Tim's head. Ziva jumped, covering her gaze, but all Tim did was wince. "Don't you _ever_ tell me that I don't remember what it's like to be a father, Timothy. No matter how much time has passed, or whether your child is living or dead, you_ never, never _forget how to be a father. Do I make myself clear?" He asked, stepping up until he and Tim were nose to nose. A moment passed, before Tim nodded, and Gibbs, satisfied, turned back to Ziva and Tony.

"All of you, have been acting like teenagers, only caring about yourselves! The three of you are former NCIS agents, for God's sake! I trained you! You all know better than to let that child sneak out! She came to me! Do you know how surprised I was, to find her skulking around my front yard?_ I nearly shot her!_ And all because the _two of you_ spoiled her rotten!" Gibbs snapped, turning on Tim and Ziva, who immediately shrunk back, acting like the reprimanded children they were. But even their shrinking away didn't stop the hard slaps both received from their former boss.

Tony chuckled silently as the couple jolted forward at the strength of the slaps to the head they received. Nine times out of ten, Tony had been on the receiving end of Gibbs' slaps, while the rest of the time, the slaps were divided between Tim and Ziva. But since they'd left NCIS, Gibbs' slaps had been few and far between for the couple. When they were working together on a case, Tony got his slaps in. _"Ow! What was that for?"_ Ziva demanded, whirling on her former boss.

"For not reigning_ him_ in and getting control over your child, Ziver." Gibbs replied, nodding towards her husband, as Tim shook his head and headed into the kitchen as Tigyr bounded into the room, small nails clicking on the hardwood. The puppy yipped, rushing towards Tim, who sighed and led the pup into the kitchen, feeding him. Tony chuckled, but soon found himself the object of Gibbs' slap. "And you, for not guarding them like you were supposed to, and catching Adina as she snuck out!"

Tony spluttered for several minutes, before choking out, "She snuck out her bedroom window, how was I supposed to know that's what she'd be doing?" Gibbs turned steely-blue eyes to his kids, before turning to head down the hall to Adi's room.

"Gibbs? Where are you going?" Ziva asked, rubbing her head. He turned back to Adina's parents, meeting Ziva and Tim's gazes before turning and heading back to Adi's room.

"We'll draw up rules later. But I need to talk to your daughter,_ first_."


	16. Chapter 16

******Ri****fiuto: No****n Miriena**

Adi looked up as the door opened. _"Go away."_ But when the door closed and the man walked over to her nightstand, turning on her lamp, she realized it wasn't her father or Tony, but Gibbs. She sat on the bed, clutching the bear she'd received when she was a baby, tears leaving tracks down her cheeks. Her cheek was still red from when Tim struck her, and silent, Gibbs took a seat on the bed. Gently, he reached up, taking her head in his hand and turning so he could examine the mark.

"You'll be okay. It's pretty much gone." She sniffled, wiping her nose quickly on the back of her hand.

"_Abba_ never hits me. He's never hit me before._ Ima_ said it's because they promised when I was born." Gibbs sighed, studying his adoptive granddaughter. Her wide green eyes were filled with tears, and she refused to meet his gaze.

"Adina, I know you think your parents don't respect you, but you're wrong. It's the other way around." He whispered. Her head snapped up.

"I respect my parents! They're the ones-" She stopped as Gibbs held up a hand, his voice soft yet stern.

"What you think is respect, and what is actually respect are two entirely different versions. Your parents have done everything they could for you, and yes, they have spoiled you, but that's because they're overcompensating for what they never got."

"What's that?" She asked softly, playing with her teddy bear. Gibbs sighed. He knew the stories of his two youngest, but whether it was his place to tell their secrets-

"Your parents were abused. Both your mother and your father." Adi looked up, confused.

"No they weren't._ Ima_ always says that their lives were good-" But Gibbs shook his head.

"They were anything but. Tim's father- the Ambassador- was mentally, psychologically, emotionally and physically abusive. When your parents met, they were both a little older than you when they met in Israel, and they fell in love. Ziver tells me it was 'love at first sight', if you believe in that sort of thing." He chuckled. "But either way, they spent two weeks together and when it was time for your dad to go back to the States, well, from what they tell me, they married in secret, in a room in the American embassy." Adi listened, silent, holding the teddy bear close. "They spent ten years apart, before finally being reunited in my bullpen at NCIS HQ, after Kate was killed."

"Agent Todd?" Adi asked, lifting her head. Gibbs nodded. "Tony Dohd says that while he loves Abby, Kate's the only woman he'll ever truly love." Gibbs chuckled, thinking over her words.

"I think he's right."

"Why was _Ima_ there?" Gibbs sighed.

"Because her brother had killed Kate, and it was your mother's mission to find him and kill him. She was a member of Mossad by then, and your dad was working on my team, and when Jenny Shepard attached Ziva to my team as liaison, they reconnected. I didn't find out until months later, and by then, I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it."

"Rule twelve?" Gibbs nodded at her soft whisper, not at all surprised that the child remembered his famous rules, no matter how many years had passed since she'd set foot in the bullpen.

"Never date a coworker. I put that rule into place because romance between agents, it never works. Something always goes wrong, or they compromise cases. Either way, it never ends well."

"But _Ima_ wasn't an agent, she was a Mossad officer."

"I know. And when I found out that they were married, I was angry. I was angry that they'd lied to me, and I demanded answers. They lied because if their parents found out, they'd be in trouble, so they kept quiet, for ten years. As it was, Tim's father demanded he divorce Ziver, otherwise he threatened to disown him. And I think the Ambassador was already upset that Tim hadn't followed in his footsteps, and had instead become and NCIS agent, and so he used all the psychological about he could to get your dad to back down and cut ties with Ziva. But he didn't. I remember when your father told us that his dad had disowned him," Gibbs sighed, thinking back on that day. "He wasn't upset. He was more worried about your mother than anything."

"Why?" Gibbs met her gaze, reaching up to cradle her chin.

"Because they were expecting you. Your mother was about six months pregnant with you when your grandfather disowned Tim. Ziva got upset, but Tim told her that the last thing he was going to do was divorce the mother of his child. Especially not when he loved her so. And when you were born, I watched your father change. He was always protective of Ziva, but with you in the picture..." He stopped, shrugging. "When I found out that the Ambassador had laid a hand on Tim more than once when he was a kid, I wanted to kill him. That rule of theirs- to never strike you- comes from what they both went through as children. I saw the reports on child abuse that your father went through; it wasn't just a smack like what Tim gave you tonight, Adina. There were times when your father was beaten so badly he couldn't walk, couldn't stand. I've never seen a case like your father's... except your mother's, from when she returned from Somalia."

"Somalia?_ Ima's_ never been to Somalia. She's never-"

"She's never mentioned it because she wants to protect you." Gibbs replied, cutting the teen off. "But it was part of her father's abuse. Eli David, Deputy Director of Mossad. Perhaps the cruelest man I've ever met, next to the Ambassador.' Adi hugged her bear close, wondering why the name sounded so familiar. "Your mother had an older brother and a younger sister. Ari became a terrorist for a Hamas cell; he was the one who killed Kate. And your mother killed him. And Tali didn't even get to grow up. From what Ziva's told me, she was killed in a Hamas suicide bombing when she was only a year or so older than you. Sixteen."

"I didn't know. Ima never talks about her-"

"I don't know that she ever will. And that, scarred her. Eli blamed Ziva for Tali's death, and the normally occasional childhood abuse your mother suffered got worse. Mental, emotional, physical, psychological- Ziva's suffered all of it. He told her that she was to blame for Tali's death, that she was the one who let her sister die. When Ziva first told me that Eli used to lay a hand on her as a child, I wanted to kill him. Him and the Ambassador for what they did to your parents. But they made me promise that I wouldn't confront either man on that front. I didn't and I haven't. Eli is dead now, going on a decade-"

Adi stopped listening, flashes of memories crowding into her mind.

_The strange man with the funny accent in the park; hearing her father's raised voice; climbing into bed with her parents after the strange man left their apartment._

_ Ima picking out her black and white flower dress, pulling her hair back in curls. Watching Ima fix Abba's jacket collar with a kiss. _

_Leon and Jackie Vance; the dining room, with the pretty candles and white table cloth. The strange man in a nice suit, a funny hat on his head. Moving to climb into the chair beside Ima, only to have Abba lift her out of the chair and settle her in the chair across from him._

_"I would like to sit beside my granddaughter."_

_The strange man standing and saying a prayer. And then Ima, throwing her napkin onto the table and getting up, storming out of the dining room, even as Abba reached for her hand. Sitting quietly at the table, waiting for Ima to return. Reaching for a roll, but stopping as Abba shook his head, only to have Leon set a roll on her plate._

She looked up at Gibbs, confusion in her green eyes. He cocked his head to the side, waiting for her to speak. She opened her mouth, but stopped.

_The sounds of gunfire ringing through the house. The strong scent of gunpowder and blood mixing together. The sting as something slammed into her chest; glass shattering, chairs toppling, screams being choked out by the smoke. Feeling someone pick her up._

_"Over here!"_

_"I need a towel, a rag, something! Hurry!" Hearing Abba's familiar voice, feeling his hand on her chest. _

_"Abba... scared..." Listening to him softly sing Ima's lullabies, before being taken from his arms by strange men who said they were going to help her. And suddenly, waking up in the hospital, to Ima sitting beside her on the bed. _

_"I'm just so happy that you and Abba are okay."_

When Adi looked up at Gibbs again, she had tears in her eyes. He nodded, as she began to realize what her parents had sacrificed that night, and that the flashes and nightmares she'd suffered from since she was five weren't just in her imagination. That they were real, and that they'd nearly torn her family apart. A moment passed, before she quickly unbuttoned her blouse, following Gibbs' gaze as his blue eyes landed on the scar she bore from her heart surgery. It was the same scar Gibbs had seen on Tim's chest; twin scars for twin surgeries that had saved the lives of his family younger son and granddaughter. Still red and slightly inflamed, the skin puckered, it was a glaring, horrifying reminder of a night that had started in peace and ended in violence. Until now, she'd only chalked her memories up to nightmares caused from what she'd gone through as a child, or figments of her overactive imagination, but the scar...

The scar was evidence, screaming at her every time she got dressed and looked in the mirror. She knew that Abba bore the same scar on his chest-

"Your grandfather brought Israel's violence with him when he came to make amends with your parents. It nearly cost us both you and your parents, Adina. What they went through, is abuse, plain and simple. No matter what, it was still abuse. And you have to understand that, little warrior. They don't overcompensate because they want to, they overcompensate because they don't want to raise you like they were raised. You have to respect them; their fathers, both of them- Eli and the Ambassador- neither one respected their children, but those children have an _infinite_ amount of respect for you. And you need to have the same respect for them. And if you don't, you won't be dealing with them, you'll be dealing with _me_, got it?" A moment passed, before she nodded, silent.

"Yes, sir." Gibbs nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead before getting up and leaving her room.


End file.
